My fake girlfriend
by MattheJ1
Summary: Elsanna, mAU, incest. When Anna is unsure about her sexuality, Elsa offers to help her figure things out with a 'pretend date'. But things quickly get out of hand for both of them...
1. Chapter 1: All the wrong places

My fake girlfriend

**Chapter one **

**All the wrong places **

Raining. It was raining. But that was okay. Her face was already wet.

Anna stepped out of her car on shaky legs and began the slow walk towards her front door. She stumbled and tried to regain her balance, but her ridiculous high heels were no help, and she fell to her knees.

Fuck it.

She pulled off the heels and threw them into the car. She grabbed onto the handle and slowly pulled herself to her feet, then slammed the door shut. Now her nice black socks were soaked. Like it mattered.

What's wrong with me? she asked herself again. This was supposed to be the good one. He was nice, humble, respectful of me – everything the first one wasn't. So why did this still happen?

Her feet splashed through the puddles on the walkway. The rain tamped down her hair, and she felt it coming loose from the bun she had wrangled it into. She was sure her makeup was a mess, too.

If He was here, He'd laugh and say I told you so.

She took a deep, shuddering breath, and looked at her house. Well, He wasn't here. Nobody was. Mom and Dad were overseas, her sister was at college, and she was here, at this big, empty house.

She shakily pulled out her keys, unlocked the door, and stepped inside.

I thought I turned the lights off, was her first thought. And…the TV?...

"Anna?"

Anna froze. No, it couldn't be…

A young woman rose from the couch and turned to face her. Her platinum-blonde braid whipped around as she turned to face her, and her bright blue eyes went wide.

In spite of everything, Anna smiled. "Elsa," she croaked.

Elsa dashed toward her sister. She bumped her shin on the end table, but it didn't seem to slow her down. She closed the distance and threw her arms around her sister. Anna returned the embrace, squeezing just as hard. "Oh, Anna, it's so good to see you again," she said.

"You too, sis," Anna said.

For a moment, neither one said anything. Then Anna broke the hug. "So what are you doing here?" she asked. "You said you wouldn't be able to visit for another couple of weeks."

"Ah, do I need a reason to visit my favorite baby sister?" Elsa said.

Anna raised an eyebrow. "Did Tiana kick you out again?"

"Big time," Elsa said with a half smile. "So, what are you doing here? You said you'd be out tonight."

Anna's smile started to fade. The memories of that night, which had been momentarily crowded out by surprise, now rushed back.

"Yeah, you said you'd be out on a…" Elsa trailed off. She looked Anna up and down, and her face fell. "Oh," she said. She took Anna's hands in hers. "Poor baby."

Anna sniffled. Tears began to pool in her eyes.

"What's his name?" Elsa asked, voice suddenly sharp.

"No, Elsa, don't-"

"Give me his name and his address," Elsa said anger rising in her voice. "I'll kick his fucking teeth in."

"It wasn't his fault," Anna said.

"I don't care. Another asshole has made my baby sister cry, so I'm gonna do to him what I should've done to-"

"I broke up with him!" Anna shouted.

Elsa blinked. "What?"

The shout had sapped what was left of Anna's strength. "I did it," she said weakly. She lowered her head, and her knees buckled. "So I'm…I'm the asshole…"

Elsa rushed forward and caught her before she fell. She hugged her, and hugged her tight.

xxxxxxx

Anna lay on the couch in the fetal position. Elsa had wrapped her in every blanket she could find, but she was still shivering. She had gotten her out of her soaking clothes quickly and efficiently, and she'd run upstairs to grab Anna's silk pajamas as soon as Anna was stable enough to be left alone for those few seconds. It had taken a good ten minutes for her to even get to that point.

The older girl ran around the kitchen, trying to assemble the ingredients for hot chocolate as quickly as possible. She'd been loath to leave her sister's side again, but eventually she had decided that mere proximity wouldn't be enough, and she'd rushed to prepare Anna's favorite drink. Even then, she'd frequently run back to the living room to squeeze her hand every chance she could.

It broke her heart to see her sister like this. Elsa had been in some bad breakups, too, but she'd taken them in stride. Anna, though, had always been more sensitive. To have not one, but two breakups so close together must be devastating.

Plus, none of Elsa's girlfriends had been half as bad as Anna's first boyfriend. Elsa still saw red every time she thought about that piece of shit. To think that anyone could be so…

She shook her head. That was for another time. Right now Anna needed compassion, not revenge.

After what seemed like an eternity, the drink reached an acceptable temperature. Elsa hurried to apply the finishing touches. "Almost ready!" she shouted. "I just need to add the secret ingredient!"

Anna poked her head over the couch. "Is it love?" she managed weakly.

Elsa grinned. "No, that's not a secret ingredient at all," she replied. She reached into the cupboard above the microwave and pulled out a clear bottle. "This is."

"Elsa, you know I'm not old enough," Anna said.

"Nonsense," Elsa said, pouring the liquor in generously. "This is vodka. The drinking age in Russia is 18, so you're all good." She stirred the drink vigorously, then topped it with a quick spray of whipped cream before handing it to her sister.

Anna managed a chuckle. "I don't think that's how it works, Elsa," she said. Nevertheless, she took the cup and began to sip.

They were both silent for a while. Anna's hands stopped shaking as she drank more. Eventually, Elsa spoke up. "So, want to talk about it?"

Anna said nothing at first, simply taking another sip. She took a deep, long breath, then a second. Then she lifted her head. "So, this was our third date, right?" she said. "So when we first met up in the parking lot, he gave me a kiss."

Elsa's eyes narrowed.

"Which was fine," Anna said hurriedly. "He wasn't overstepping his boundaries or anything, I was okay with him doing it. But when he kissed me, I just felt…nothing."

"Nothing at all?" Elsa asked.

Anna shook her head.

"And this was your first kiss with Kristoff?"

Anna fidgeted. "Well, sort of. He kissed me on the cheek, after the movie, on the last date, and that one was also pretty underwhelming."

Elsa nodded her head. "That's definitely not a good sign."

"So then, while we were eating, we talked – a little. But I felt like we had already said everything there was to say to each other, you know?"

Elsa kept nodding, a picture beginning to form in her mind.

"Of course, back when I was dating H- the other guy, that didn't really happen. We both had a lot to talk about in the first few dates, and later on, even when I stopped talking, he'd still talk on and on."

Anna's hands started to tremble again. Elsa hastily steered the conversation back on track. "So, that didn't happen with Kristoff?"

"No. We just talked less and less," Anna said. "I started feeling guilty, like I was just wasting his time." Her voice was getting shakier, more emotional now. "Eventually, he just asked me if anything was wrong. I told him it was nothing, but he insisted, and eventually I just told him…I just told him…"

Elsa took her hand. "You told him that you didn't feel attracted to him."

Anna winced. "I was a bit gentler than that," she said. She lowered her head shamefully. "But not much."

She pulled her hand out of Elsa's and buried her head in her hands. Elsa scooted closer and draped her arm around Anna's shoulders. "How did he take it?" she asked softly.

"P-pretty well, I guess," she said. "H-he just kind of sighed and said, 'That's okay, I…I knew you were out of my league, anyway.'"

Elsa winced. Such a nice guy.

"I…I felt like the biggest piece of shit in the world," Anna said.

Elsa drew her in for a hug. Anna wrapped her arms around her sister and squeezed her tight, as tears streaked down her face.

"It's okay," the older woman said, stroking Anna's hair. "You don't have to feel bad about this. You didn't owe him anything, you aren't obligated to have feelings for him just because you went on a few dates with him."

"But it's not just him!" Anna wailed. "On the drive home, I tried thinking of other guys I might want to date instead. I couldn't think of anyone! There was nobody else I even wanted to be with. But I don't want to be alone either!" She clutched her head. "So what the fuck is wrong with me? Am I just…broken forever now?"

"Of course not," Elsa soothed, gripping Anna harder. "You just haven't found the right person yet. It doesn't mean anything's wrong with you."

"But-"

"Shh," Elsa commanded. Anna obliged, and her protestations faded to whimpers.

My poor baby sister. At least after my first breakup, Mom and Dad were here for me. But now they're 5,000 miles away.

Not that she could throw stones in that department. She only took the 30-minute bus ride back home once a month or so. Even after Anna's first breakup, she only visited a couple times afterwards, which now felt horribly inadequate.

And I've got a 7:30 class tomorrow. I won't even be here when she wakes up. Fuck.

For a time, there was silence except for Anna's shuddering breaths. Elsa rewound their conversation, trying to think of something to say, something that would help. One line stuck out in her mind.

"You said you tried thinking of other guys you'd want to go out with," she said, gingerly pulling away from her sister.

Anna sniffed. "Yeah," she said.

"Just guys? No girls?"

"Of course…" Anna said, trailing off.

"Any particular reason for that?" Elsa asked.

"No, I…I guess not. Only guys have ever asked me out to begin with, so I guess I just went with that." She had stopped crying now, and Elsa could almost heart the gears in her head turning. "Are you suggesting…"

"Anna Arendelle, perhaps you've been playing the wrong game this whole time," Elsa said with a grin. "Or at least, playing for the wrong team."

"Gee, I…wow." Anna ran her hand through her hair. "Do you really think so? That I might actually be a…a lesbian?"

"You tell me," Elsa answered. "It's your libido."

Anna's brow furrowed. "I…I…I don't really know," she confessed. "I've never thought about it that much. I only started thinking about dating last year."

"Okay, let's just think about it logically," Elsa said patiently. "What kind of porn do you watch?"

Anna's face turned bright red. "Jesus, Elsa!"

"Sorry," Elsa said.

The irony was pretty funny. There was a time when she would have been far more uncomfortable than Anna at talking about this kind of thing. But a lot of her barriers had been obliterated in the last three years, thanks to Belle. And Esmerelda. And Jasmine. And Esmerelda again.

Anna buried her face in her blankets. "I don't…really…watch much…porn," she mumbled.

Elsa nodded understandingly. "I get it," she said. "You're pretty inexperienced with all of this."

Anna nodded.

"So, the answer's simple. You need experience. Try dating a couple girls, see if you like it."

Anna shook her head. "Elsa, I don't know any lesbians at school. I'm sure there are some, but I don't know who. And even if I did, what am I supposed to say? 'Hi, I'm Anna, and I think I might be gay, but I'm not sure, so do you mind if I date you for a bit, just to figure it out?'"

"It's not as bad as that," Elsa said. "Once you get some experience, you'll figure out how it works."

"But how do I get practice if I don't have any practice to begin with?" she pointed out. "Besides, I'm not even that good at regular dating. Just ask Kristoff…" With that, her shoulders dropped again.

Elsa stroked her chin. She had a point – it wasn't exactly easy to get into the same-sex dating scene, especially in the smallish town they lived in. She herself had been very lucky – Belle had asked her out, and she'd later admitted that taking that leap of faith had been terrifying. And Anna wasn't exactly in a confident mood at the moment. So what to do?

The solution hit her like a brick.

She needs practice dating. And I need to spend more time with her. Two birds, one stone.

"Don't worry, I'll help you practice," Elsa said.

Anna looked up. "Practice?"

"Yeah. We'll have a pretend date!" she declared.

Anna's eyes widened. "Now, when you say 'pretend date…'"

"Tomorrow, after school. I don't have any evening classes, so we can go on a dinner date, at…Vito's, maybe? I'll show you the ropes on dating another girl – what to say, what to do, how to figure out if she's into you, the whole thing. What do you think?"

Anna thought for a moment. "I don't know, Elsa. It seems kind of…weird. I mean, we're sisters, for god's sake! What if someone sees us?"

"It'll be fine," Elsa said. "It's just a dinner date. It's not like we'll be making out or anything."

"Yeah, you're right," Anna said.

Elsa grinned. "Not on the first date, anyway. I'm not a slut."

Anna chuckled nervously. Obviously, she'd gotten the joke, but the implications seemed to discomfort her.

"And, besides," Elsa said, hurriedly changing the subject. "I've barely gone out in this town in three years. Nobody would recognize me, anyway."

"That's true," Anna admitted.

Elsa placed her hands on Anna's. "It's up to you," she said. "If you think it'd be too uncomfortable, we don't have to do it. Your choice."

Anna looked at their hands, then at Elsa. Within her eyes, Elsa saw nothing but trust and love.

"You know what?" Anna said. "Let's do it."

Elsa let go of a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "All right, it's a date!" she said. "I'll see you at Vito's tomorrow at 5:30."

"Count on it!" Anna said. She looked at the clock. "I should really get to bed," she said.

"Yeah, me too, if I want to catch the 6:00 bus tomorrow morning," Elsa said.

Anna bounded up the stairs. "In that case, good night, fake girlfriend!" she said, going into her room.

"Don't call me a fake girlfriend before the first fake date!" Elsa reprimanded. "I might think you're too fake clingy!"

Anna laughed as she closed the door – her first genuine laugh of the night. It warmed Elsa's heart to hear it.

After all, that's what I'm doing this for. To make her happy.


	2. Chapter 2: Due for a good one

**Chapter two**

**Due for a good one**

Elsa strolled into her dorm, tossing her overnight bag into the corner. "Hey, Tiana," she said cheerfully.

Tiana, who was currently at her laptop finishing up some homework, waved. "Hey, Elsa," she said.

The room was the same as she had left it – one half clean, one half messy. The only difference was that Tiana's bed was now also unmade.

Tiana turned to her. "Hey, thanks for clearing out last night," she said.

"No problem," Elsa said. "How's Naveen?"

"Oh, he's good," she answered, turning back to her computer. "How's your sister?"

"She's good," Elsa said. "In fact, she's going on a date tonight."

"That's nice. With who?"

Elsa grinned. "Me!"

Tiana didn't even glance up. "All right. You do you."

Elsa giggled. "Not literally, of course." She explained the events of the previous night.

"Ah, I see," she said. "That's pretty nice of you."

"Yeah, so that's where I'll be this evening," Elsa finished.

Tiana raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you say you had a study group this evening?"

Elsa clapped a hand to her forehead. "Ah, fuck, that's right. Fucking Diff eq."

With exams coming up, Elsa had resolved to put more of an effort into studying than last semester – which would be no great feat itself. It was a decision she'd come to hate, not the least because of her Differential Equations class. It was easily the most frustrating class she'd ever been in, but her study group really helped.

She pinched the bridge of her nose. "I guess…I'll just have to study on my own," she said, mostly to herself.

Tiana turned to her, slinging an arm over the back of her chair. "You could probably reschedule your thing with Anna," she said. "I'm sure she'll understand."

"Yeah, she'd understand," Elsa said. "But it'd still be a big letdown, and to put that on top of last night…no. I can't reschedule that."

Tiana grinned. "You're a good sister, you know that?"

Elsa cracked a smile. "Well, that's good news, because I'm a damn lousy student."

xxxxxxx

"So we're meeting at Vito's tonight!" finished Anna with a flourish.

"Oh, that's a good restaurant," Rapunzel said.

"Yeah," agreed Eugene. "Not too pricey, either."

Anna waited a few seconds, watching them across the table. Neither of them said anything. "Well, is that all you have to say?" she asked, a little irritably.

"Not at all," Rapunzel said quickly. "It's just kind of a lot to process, that's all."

"Yeah," Eugene said, pausing to eat a spoonful of mashed potatoes. "One day you're going out with Kris, the next day you're going out with your sister?"

"Oh yeah," Anna said. "I forgot you have first period with him. How's he doing?"

Eugene swallowed. "All right," he said. "He was a little down, but not as much as when the last chick dumped him."

Anna felt a pang of guilt. "I wish things could've gone better," she said.

"It's okay," Rapunzel said, placing her hand on top of Anna's. "It wasn't your fault. You're still figuring things out, vis-à-vis, who you're attracted to."

Anna brightened. "Yeah. And now I have Elsa to help me with that!"

Rapunzel smiled, but weakly. Anna's own smile faltered. "That's not weird, is it?" she asked, suddenly grateful that their table was relatively empty.

"No, of course not," Rapunzel said quickly. "It's not weird at all."

"It's a little weird," Eugene said.

Rapunzel glared at him.

"What?" he said. "I didn't say it was a bad thing."

The brunette turned back to Anna. "Look, it's great that you're figuring this stuff out about yourself," she said. "And if your sister can help you with that, all the better. But having your first date with a girl be with your sister, even if it's a fake date…might cause some complications."

"Like what?" Anna asked.

"Well, let's say you are a lesbian, but you don't want to date your sister. Obviously, that's going to send some mixed signals to your brain," she pointed out.

"Or," Eugene chimed in, "what if you discover you've actually been madly in love with your sister this whole time? Boy, you'd be in trouble then!"

Rapunzel stomped on his foot. "You're not helping," she hissed.

Eugene raised his palms placatively. "I'm trying to lighten the mood, okay? You can get so dramatic sometimes."

Anna chuckled. "It's fine. I appreciate the concern, but I'll be okay. Elsa texted me this morning, saying that if things get weird, we'll stop the date immediately. I trust her to know when to stop."

"Exactly," Eugene said. "Elsa's got a lot of experience dating; she'll know what to do and what not to do."

"Of course I trust your sister to know what's best," Rapunzel said. "All I'm saying, Anna, is that you're a bit…sensitive. I just don't want to see you get swept up in emotion again."

"I won't. I promise," Anna said determinedly.

Eugene glanced to the side, then grimaced. "Speaking of…" he said.

Anna turned her head. Then her blood ran cold.

He had just left the line, carrying a tray of food. That smug, ass-licking smirk that He wore so well was on His face, making His unusually high cheekbones look even higher. And He was walking right at them.

"Shit," breathed Rapunzel. "What is he doing here? I thought he had a different lunch period."

"I don't think he gives a shit," Eugene said, scowl growing on his face.

Rapunzel grabbed Anna's hand again and squeezed it. "Don't worry," she said. "We're here for you."

Anna said nothing. She had ducked over her lunch tray, trying to look small.

He was right behind her now, walking slowly. Two of His goons, – she wouldn't call them friends, as that implied mutual respect – followed behind him. He turned to look at them. "This seat taken?" He asked innocently.

Rapunzel and Eugene had already dashed around the table, sitting on either side of Anna. "Back off, asswipe," Rapunzel said. "She doesn't want to talk to you."

He raised an eyebrow. "Really? And why can't I sit next to my girlfriend?" he said.

Anna started shaking, and she gripped her fork and knife tightly. Both Eugene and Rapunzel were staring Him down now. He didn't seem fazed.

"Heard you dumped Kristoff," He continued. Anna said nothing. "Good girl. I figured you'd know a loser when you saw one. Now, are you ready to end this charade?"

"G-go away," Anna managed.

"Hey, don't be like that," He cooed. "Why don't we just talk things over?" He reached down, his grubby hand reaching for her hair.

Eugene stood up, putting himself between Him and Anna. "You heard the lady," he snarled. "Get lost."

The noise of the cafeteria died down. Everybody had turned to watch the two men glaring at each other.

"Oh yeah?" He said, drawing Himself up. "Why don't _you_ get lost, Fitzherbert, before I make a mess out of your face?" His goons advanced behind him, grinning with lopsided smiles.

Eugene smirked. "Try it, if you think you can. It'll be nothing compared to the one Majercak makes out of yours."

His grin faltered. He and His goons looked at the near wall. The school's security guard stood there with folded arms, watching them intently. His biceps seemed as thick as tree trunks, and his body was tense, as if poised to leap in at a moment's notice.

"You'd better get moving," Rapunzel added venomously. "I heard him complaining yesterday about how he never gets to use his taser."

Majercak carried the weapon openly in a holster. Nobody had ever seen him draw it, and nobody wanted to.

He tried to maintain an intimidating façade, but His goons were not so clever, and they backed away. He sighed. "Fine, have it your way," He said. He pointed at Anna. "This isn't over between us," He said.

Finally, He walked away. Majercak relaxed slightly, and the bustle of the cafeteria resumed.

"Ugh, can you believe that guy?" Rapunzel fumed. She put her hand on Eugene's shoulder. "Good job, Flynn," she said affectionately. "You did good."

Eugene puffed up his chest, the mention of his nickname swelling his pride. "No need to thank me. It's all in a day's work for…" He glanced at Anna, and his swagger faded.

Anna was still staring down at her food. Her shaking hadn't stopped, and her knuckles had turned white. Even though He had walked away, she could still feel His eyes on her.

Rapunzel placed her hand on her shoulder. "Oh, Anna, it's okay, he's-"

Anna jumped at the touch. She stood up, grabbing her tray. "See you guys in Biology," she mumbled, then started walking toward the hallway out of the cafeteria.

Rapunzel dashed after her. "Anna, wait," she said, grabbing onto her wrist.

Anna turned to look at her. "What?" she said, her voice thick.

Rapunzel sighed. "Go on that date with Elsa tonight," she said. "Go there and have a good time."

Anna blinked twice.

"You're due for a good date," Rapunzel continued. "Sooner, not later."

Anna managed a weak smile. "Thanks, Punz," she said, her voice cracking.

Then she walked away.


	3. Chapter 3: Meeting Miss Schneider

**Chapter three**

**Meeting Miss Schneider**

Anna's heart was pounding as she walked up to the restaurant.

Okay, stay calm, she told herself. There is absolutely no reason to stress about this. It's just a fake date with your sister. No pressure at all.

Now that was a damned lie. There was every reason to stress. What if someone who knew that they were sisters showed up and saw them? What if Kristoff was there? Oh god, what if He-

Her phone buzzed, derailing her train of thought. Her reminder had gone off, meaning it was 5:30, on the dot. Now she was officially keeping Elsa waiting. She took a couple of deep, steadying breaths.

It's okay, everything's going to be okay. If anyone recognizes us, they'll just see two sisters having dinner. If Kristoff sees us, it'll only help explain my behavior. And if He's here, Elsa will skin Him alive. So everything's fine.

She looked in the reflection of the windows and tried to school her plaits into a bun, but her hands were shaking too much. She felt a few hairs begin to slip out of the plaits, and gave up.

"You'll have to take me as I am, sis," she muttered to herself as she entered the restaurant.

Vito's Pizza & Pasta was, as always, bustling but not crowded. When their parents were away, Elsa would often bring her here when she didn't want to cook; thus, Anna had no trouble locating her at her favorite booth.

She was sitting there quietly, arms folded, but when she saw Anna, she smiled and gave a small wave. Anna waved back enthusiastically, before realizing how stupid she must look for doing so and dropped her arm.

Elsa was dressed regally, with a light green blouse and black pencil skirt. Anna couldn't see her feet under the booth, but she was probably wearing heels as well. Anna looked down at her red t-shirt, jean shorts, and faded white sneakers. She felt her face redden.

She looked up again. Elsa was still sitting there, patiently. She shoved her self-doubt to the back of her mind and walked, as calmly as she could, to the booth.

"Hey," Elsa said, smiling warmly at her. "You look good."

"Thanks, you too," Anna said as she sat down. "Sorry about my clothes, I just got out of-"

Elsa raised a finger. "First mistake," she said. "Don't call attention to your flaws. If your date didn't notice, you're just making yourself look worse. If she did notice, she's probably polite enough not to mention it."

Anna blinked. "What?"

Elsa lowered her finger, and giggled. "This is supposed to be a lesson for you, isn't it? I figured that since I'm helping you figure things out already, I might as well give you some tips about dating in general."

"Oh, okay," Anna said. It was a good idea – lesbian or not, she could use some dating advice. "Thanks, sis."

Elsa raised her finger again, this time with a smirk on her face. "Second mistake. Don't call your date 'sis', it'll just make things awkward."

Anna burst out laughing. "Okay, then, mystery girl."

"That's more like it," Elsa said.

The waitress arrived. "Welcome to Vito's Pizza and Pasta. My name is Mary, and I'll be your server today," she said. "Can I get you started with something to drink?"

Elsa looked at Anna. "I think we're ready to order," Anna said. Elsa nodded. The two of them didn't even need to look at their menus to decide.

"I'll have the chicken carbonara, minus the peas, and a White Zinfandel to drink, with a glass of water on the side," Elsa said, holding up her ID.

The server examined it closely, then said, "Certainly, madam. And what would you like?"

Anna looked at her. "I'll have the spaghetti and meatballs," she said. "And a Sprite."

"All right," Mary said, taking their menus away. "We'll have those out to you in just a moment."

"I've been looking forward to this," Anna said as the server walked away. "I haven't had their spaghetti in months.

Elsa quirked an eyebrow. "You don't come here by yourself?"

"No," Anna admitted, looking down. "Where's the fun in that?"

Elsa felt a pang of guilt once again. "I see," she said.

For a few seconds, neither one said anything. Eventually, Elsa broke the silence.

"So, uh, Anna…is that how you pronounce it? Ah-na?" she said, putting on a fake 'date' voice.

This managed to elicit a giggle from Anna. "Yes, that's correct," she said. "Good job, most people don't get it on the first try." She smiled wryly.

"Well, I'm glad. So, Anna. Tell me a little bit about yourself." Elsa steepled her fingers and looked at her intently.

"Well, my…my name is Anna Arendelle," she began, stumbling a little at first but quickly recovering. "I'm 18 years old, and I go to Pleasant Valley High School. I've been on the track and field team since sophomore year. I've lived in this area for basically my whole life."

Elsa waited a few seconds after she had finished talking. "Is…that all?"

"Uh, what do you mean?" Anna asked, feeling like she'd done something wrong but not knowing what.

"Well, for instance, what's your family like? Do you have any siblings?"

Anna chuckled. "Well, you know the answer to that."

"Do I?" asked Elsa innocently. "We've just met, after all."

"Right, of course," Anna said. "Well, my parents are both away right now. They're deployed overseas, but they'll be back next month. I do have an older sister. Her name is Elsa, she goes to Kent State. It's half an hour away from here, but she still comes by every now and then.."

Elsa smiled wryly. "What's she like?"

"Oh, she's the best," Anna said. "She's really funny, she always knows what to say in every situation, she's always willing to lend a hand when I ask…"

Elsa started to blush. Sensing that things were getting awkward, Anna changed the subject. "So, uh, why don't you tell me a bit about yourself?"

"Yes, of course," Elsa said, regaining her composure. "My name is Elsa Schneider."

"Schneider?" Anna interrupted, confused.

Elsa quirked an eyebrow. "Yes, what about it?"

"Uh, nothing," Anna said

Fake girlfriend, fake name. I guess that makes sense.

"Is that, uh, German or something?" she continued, trying to bring the discussion back on track.

Elsa shrugged. "Probably."

Anna snorted.

Elsa tried, and failed, to suppress a chuckle. "I just came up with it five minutes ago, okay?" she said.

"No, it's good. I get it," Anna assured her.

Elsa smiled. "Thanks," she said, smiling brightly. Such a warm, genuine smile-

"Uh, but I interrupted you, Miss Schneider," Anna said. "You were saying?"

"Yes, yes," Elsa said, composing herself. "I'm 21, and I'm a junior at Kent State. I'm majoring in Architectural Engineering."

"Really?" Anna asked. Elsa hadn't mentioned her major before.

"Yes, I'm hoping to be an architect."

"I never knew that."

"Well, it's not something you decide on right away," Elsa explained. "I hadn't figured out exactly what I wanted to do until my second semester. Some people take longer."

"That's interesting," Anna said, leaning forward. "I had no idea you could wait that long."

"It's the most important decision of your life, after all," Elsa said. "You want to know for sure that you won't regret it."

It was then that Mary came back, holding a tray with two plates and three glasses.

"That was fast," Anna remarked as the server distributed their food.

"They're always super fast here," Elsa said.

"Oh, right" Anna said. "I forgot."

Man, it really has been too long, hasn't it?

They both thanked the server, and she quietly departed. Anna twirled her for through the spaghetti and ate it. It was just as good as she remembered.

"So, Elsa-" she began.

Elsa held up her finger again. She didn't say anything, as she had also started eating, but Anna figured out the meaning behind it pretty quickly. She closed her mouth, chewed fully, swallowed, and then resumed.

"So, Elsa, what's Kent State like?" Anna asked.

Elsa swallowed. "Oh, it's great. It's a great campus in a beautiful town, and there's a lot of stuff to do on the weekends. Movie theaters, bars, bowling alleys-"

Anna raised her eyebrows. "You bowl?"

"Yeah," Elsa said. "There's an alley just east of campus, so I figured I'd give it a try. It's pretty fun, and I met some nice people there." She smiled. "That's where I first met Esmerelda."

"Oh yeah," said Anna. "You told me about her. What's she like?"

Elsa sighed dreamily, then caught herself and abruptly stopped. She suddenly seemed uncomfortable. "She's nice," she said, but she didn't elaborate. It seemed like she was regretting bringing it up in the first place.

Not understanding, but seeking to resolve the awkward situation, Anna spoke up. "You know, I used to be really good at bowling."

"Yeah? What happened?" Elsa asked, taking a sip of water.

"Well, they took down the bumpers," Anna said.

Elsa snorted, then coughed as water went down her windpipe. She continued coughing while laughing at the same time, making a noise that would've been comical if not for the pain that caused it. Anna stood to help, but Elsa held up her hand. She slapped herself on the back a couple times, and her coughs subsided.

Elsa took a deep breath, then looked at Anna. They were both silent for a moment, Elsa looking impassive and Anna looking worried. Then Elsa giggled. Anna giggled as well, and before long, they were both laughing heartily. The other patrons, who had turned to look at them during Elsa's coughing fit, returned to their meals.

"So, yeah, uh," Elsa said after her laughter had subsided. "Bowling."

"Right, bowling," Anna agreed, stifling her last few giggles.

Elsa cleared her throat. "The main trick I learned is, you have to move your arm like this, in a sort of scooping movement…"

Anna nodded as Elsa demonstrated. It was quite impressive, how her sister could jump right back to a topic like that, even after such a crazy moment.

Anna didn't have much to add to the conversation, so she simply ate while Elsa explained the finer techniques of bowling. It shouldn't have been interesting, but she was just so enthusiastic, with her sweeping hand gestures and excited voice, Anna couldn't help but be caught up in her enthusiasm as well.

Eventually, she reached the end of her description. "But enough about that. What have you been up to lately?"

Well, there's a sentence He never used.

"Oh, not much, really," Anna said. "I've been watching a lot of TV, mostly. Baseball season's started up again, so of course I'm into that."

"Oh yeah, baseball!" Elsa said. "I haven't really gotten a chance to catch up – what's happened so far this season?"

"Hmm. Quite a bit, actually. Clemson had a big upset against Notre Dame. They were tied for the first 6 innings, but then Seth hit a sacrifice fly…"

Now it was Elsa's turn to eat while Anna described the events of the first few games of the season. Their dad had gotten them into baseball at an early age, and he'd often let them stay up late just to watch the games, though Anna sometimes had trouble staying awake to the end. Even when he was deployed, the two of them would still follow most of the games. It had become something of a tradition, one of many that Anna had missed when her sister went off to college.

Elsa was as good of a listener as she was a speaker. She maintained eye contact well, and only interrupted with pertinent questions. When Anna described a particularly close game, Elsa's eyes would grow wide with anticipation, and she would erupt into a smile or a disappointed sigh, depending on the outcome. It made Anna feel special, to be paid attention to so well.

"So, Miss Schneider," Anna said once she had finished her recap, "What have you been doing in the evenings that prevents you from catching these games?"

Elsa straightened in her seat. "Well, I'm glad you asked…"

xxxxxxx

"And then," Anna continued, "she veered back towards the road and took out the stop sign!"

Elsa put a hand to her mouth. "Jesus," she said.

"The cops showed up shortly after that, and our bus driver decided it was safe to drive past. We all got a chance to look into her car, and there were, like, thirty cans of beer inside!"

"Wow," Elsa said. "We've had some drunk drivers on campus, but nothing that crazy."

"Good," Anna said.

She leaned back in her chair, which inadvertently put the sun in her eyes. She raised her hand to block it.

Hang on, how is the sun so low?

She checked her watch. "Wow," she said. "It's 8:00 already?"

"8:00?" Elsa repeated. She checked her phone and confirmed it. "Shit. I really should get back to the dorm – I was gonna study today."

"Oh yeah, finals are coming up," Anna said. She smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."

Elsa chuckled melodiously. "For what? Being such a good date that I lose track of the time?" She spotted Mary and mimed writing on her hand. Mary nodded, then walked to the register.

Anna idly tapped her fork against her plate, which had been empty for some time. "Yeah," she agreed. "This was a lot of fun. We need to do this again sometime."

Elsa blinked. "Pardon?"

Anna made a mental backspace. "Not the date," she said hastily, "the dinner. N-not even the dinner, actually, just…hanging out, like this."

'Oh, of course," Elsa said. "I should've realized that's what you meant. That's on me."

"No, I should've been more specific," Anna said.

Elsa stroked her chin. "How about tomorrow?" she said. "I don't have any evening classes tomorrow. I could come over, we could watch the game, maybe a couple movies…"

"That's a great idea!" Anna exclaimed. Then a sly smile crept across her face. "But…staying the night after just one date? You're quite bold, Miss Schneider."

Elsa laughed. "It comes with experience," she said.

Mary returned with the bill, and placed it on the table between the two of them. Anna reached for it, but Elsa slammed her hand down on top of Anna's. "Not so fast, Miss Arendelle," she said.

"W-what?"

"I asked you out, so I'm the one who's paying," Elsa said.

"O-okay," Anna stammered. Her hand, enclosed in Elsa's, didn't move, as if it was held in place by some kind of electricity.

Elsa waited a few seconds. "Uh, that means paws off, Anna,"

Anna shook herself. "Right. Of course." She withdrew her hand, and Elsa claimed the bill.

As Elsa filled out the bill, Anna regarded her hand curiously.

That was weird. She's held my hand before – lots of times, in fact. So why did it feel so…tingly this time?

She put it out of her mind. It was, after all, the first time they'd touched that evening. No wonder it felt so magical.

Once everything was taken care of, the two stood up and exited the restaurant. On the sidewalk, they shared a warm hug.

"You were right," Elsa said. "This was fun. It's been way too long since we've done this."

"Yeah," Anna breathed. "I missed you."

Their embrace was all too short, just a few seconds, but Anna still walked away with high spirits. Elsa gave the best hugs, the kind that stuck with you even after it was over.

"See you tomorrow," Elsa said with a wave, before heading for the bus stop.

"See you!" Anna said, waving vigorously.

This was just what I needed, she thought as she got into her car. Some quality time with my sister.

Oh, and Elsa Schneider is quite nice, too.


	4. Chapter 4: Just Us

**Chapter four**

**Just us**

_The next day_

Elsa slouched on the bus seat, idly drumming her fingers on the windowsill. Outside, the landmarks of Willowton flew by.

She was becoming intimately familiar with every sign, street and stoplight along the way. Her phone was usually almost dead by this time of day, and Elsa, being the Einstein that she was, once again hadn't thought to bring anything to read. Not that a half an hour bus trip was unreasonably long, but after the third consecutive day, it was getting a little old.

Well, I'll have to get used to it, she resolved as their neighborhood rolled into view. I'll be doing it a lot more when Mom and Dad get back.

It had only been six months since she had seen them last, but it felt like much longer. They'd been available to call pretty often, but there were just some things that they needed to be there for. Christmas alone had been difficult, especially for Anna. But they had made it work.

The bus gently rode over a speed bump. Elsa shook her head, then gathered up her bags. Two minutes after the bump, the bus pulled up at her stop. She thanked the bus driver, then set off for the house.

The sun was still high, but the talk oaks that lined the street on either side cast the sidewalk into darkness. She checked her phone.

6:30, and it's a school night tomorrow.

As she approached the house, she looked up the runtimes for all three Back to the Future movies.

Hmm, that'd be cutting it close. I could make it through all three, but Anna probably won't. I'll see what she thinks, though.

Anna's car was in the driveway, and the lights were on, but Elsa still checked the mailbox as she walked past it. Unsurprisingly, it was full. She shifted through the letters idly. Junk, magazine, something for Anna, junk, coupons, catalog…

And one high priority letter from a military base. With familiar handwriting on the front.

Elsa stopped in her tracks, feet from the door. She wedged the remaining mail into her armpit, then tore open the letter hastily.

Odd, she thought as she unfolded it. Why would they send a letter if they're about to be here in person?

The first half of the letter was the same as usual. Hey girls, miss you bunches, we've been busy doing this, this and this, etc. She read through it all, then progressed to the second half.

Then she stopped reading. Her eyes widened, and her grip tightened on the letter

Is this some kind of joke? Are they kidding?

She read on. No, they were going into detail. They weren't kidding.

The letter started shaking, and small, fingernail-sized holes appeared at the edges she was holding.

You couldn't even call us to explain this, you had to just put it in a letter. Cowards.

She looked up, at the door.

Oh god, what am I going to tell her?

She took a deep, shuddering breath. Folding up the letter, she put it under her arm with the other mail and fished out her keys. They jingled in her hands. She forced herself to take a few more steadying breaths until her hands stopped shaking.

Be brave. One of us has to be calm.

She nodded to herself and opened the door.

Anna was lounging on the sofa, arm draped over the back. When she heard the door open, she turned around and smiled. "Hey there, sis," she said.

Elsa offered a weak smile. "Hey," she answered. Setting down her bags and mail, she pulled out the letter and held it in front of her. "There's a letter here. From Mom and Dad."

Anna sprang up. "Really?" she said, hurtling around the sofa. "But why would they send a letter if…" She looked at Elsa's troubled expression, and her own face grew worried. "Oh no, did something happen to them?"

"No, they're fine," Elsa said quickly. "It's just…you really need to read it for yourself."

"Okay," Anna said, confused.

She took the letter and unfolded it, and began to read it, mouthing the words as she read them. At first, she was smiling as she read their usual updates, but as she neared the bottom of the letter, her expression shifted. Her eyes widened, and the color drained from her face. Elsa wanted to reach out for her right then and there, but she waited. Finally, Anna lowered the letter, and her arms fell to her sides.

She looked at Elsa. "Three…three more months, h-huh?"

Elsa nodded. She held out her arms, beckoning Anna. Anna didn't move.

"But, they-they're getting a pay raise, so t-that's nice," she said, trying to smile.

"Anna…" Elsa trailed off, not sure how to continue.

"And, h-hey, they can always F-Facetime into my g-graduation…" Anna continued.

Elsa stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her little sister. Anna sank into her sister's embrace, squeezing her tightly.

"Fuck," Anna said in a thick voice. Elsa felt the tears rolling off Anna's cheeks and landing on her shirt. "Fuck!" she gasped again.

Elsa stroked her sister's hair. "It's okay," she said softly, "it's okay. I'm here."

Anna wailed, gripping her sister tightly, as if she might disappear if she let go.

Okay, Elsa thought. This calls for some serious cuddling.

xxxxxxx

Anna sniffled. "Is it wrong for me to feel this way?" she asked, looking up at her sister. "Is it selfish?"

"No, not at all," Elsa said, giving her another squeeze. "They're the selfish ones."

Anna winced. "Don't say that," she said.

"Sorry," Elsa said.

On the TV in front of them, Marty was making his escape from the bullies. Not that Anna could see it well – half her face was under the blanket wrapped around the two of them. Anna's head was resting on Elsa's shoulder, and Elsa had one arm wrapped around her and her other hand entwined with Anna's. It seemed to be helping, as Anna's sniffles and shudders had slowly abated.

"Why did this happen?" Anna asked. "They used to only get deployed one at a time, and now they're always both away at the same time."

"I don't know," Elsa lied. "I'm sure they're just as upset about it as we are."

They had first announced that they were both going to be deployed together five years ago. Three months after Elsa had turned sixteen. Two months after she got her driver's license.

Anna fell silent, turning her head towards the movie. Elsa's head was also turned towards the screen, but her attention was still fixed on her sister. The volume was turned down low, so she could hear her sister's breathing, feel her body rise and fall with each breath. She monitored Anna's heart rate, careful not to adjust her grip a fraction, for fear of the reaction it might elicit.

"You're good at this," Anna mumbled.

Elsa turned to her. "Sorry?"

"This," Anna said. "Hugging. Comforting."

"I guess," Elsa said sheepishly. "It's just hugs. Everyone's good at hugs."

"He wasn't," Anna said. "Whenever we hugged, His grip was too tight. Like a vise…"

Elsa winced. The last thing she'd wanted was to remind her sister of him, especially when she'd just started to calm down. She changed the subject. "Esmerelda used to hug me a lot," she said. "Guess I picked up some of it from her."

Immediately, she regretted saying it. It was true, Esmerelda had comforted her a lot back when they were dating. The thing about her hugs, though, was that they often led to other things. She was now very aware that she was holding her sister in the same way that her girlfriend would hold her.

Now it's awkward. But I don't want to let go of her, especially now. Not to mention, this is gonna make the next thing I say feel even weirder.

She felt her own heart rate rising. What do I-

"No, you were already good at it," Anna said. "Even before you went to college."

Elsa's train of thought slowed to a halt. "Oh," she said. "Thanks."

Anna looked up at her, eyes filled with adoration. "Thank you, Elsa," she said, voice trembling. "You're always here for me when I need you."

Elsa smiled, her heart rate elevated by the pure love she felt radiating from her sister. "My pleasure," she said.

I'm not, though, the voice inside her head added. I'm not here for you enough, and certainly not always.

Anna was silent then. She seemed to have turned her attention back to the movie. Elsa, though, was still deep in thought. Mainly, about how to say what she wanted to say next.

"Say, Anna," she said.

Anna turned to her. "Yeah?"

"So, I was talking to Elsa Schneider earlier today," she said.

Anna raised an eyebrow.

"She said she really enjoyed her date with you the other day," Elsa continued. "And she'd love to do it again. Maybe…a movie date?"

Anna still seemed a little confused. Elsa could understand why.

Just say you want to go see a movie with her, moron! It's not weird! You're the one who invited her to a fucking dinner date!

Then Anna broke into a smile. "I'd like that," she said. "I'd like that a lot. Let miss Schneider know I'd be happy to."

Elsa smiled. "Great, I'll pass it on. So, what would you like to see?"

Anna thought for a second. "Oh! How about _The Moon Has Two Faces_? I heard that's coming out soon, and I'd really like to see it."

Elsa frowned. "Hmm, haven't heard of that one." Gently pulling her hand away from Anna's, she fished out her phone and typed the movie's name into her search bar. When the results came up, she blanched. "A…romance movie?"

"Yeah, based on the book," Anna said, oblivious to her sister's discomfort. "I've read all the books in the series, and now the first one's finally being adapted."

"Oh," said Elsa. "I see."

The awkwardness she had been trying to tamp down now flared up again. A fake date was one thing, but going to see an R-rated romance movie with her sister? That'd just be all sorts of awkward.

She looked at the release date, and breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, we can't do that one," she said. "It doesn't come out for two weeks."

"Oh," said Anna, a little disappointed. "Well, what opens this week?"

Elsa swiped downward, looking at the other upcoming new releases. "Oh," she said recognizing one. "This one looks good," she said, handing the phone to her sister.

Anna looked. "_Khrush_?" she said. "A Bollywood movie?"

"Jasmine got me into these," Elsa explained. "They're like, action, drama, comedy, suspense – basically every genre of movie, rolled into one."

Anna seemed intrigued. "Really," she said.

"Unless you had something else you wanted to see," Elsa said quickly.

Anna looked at the other movies on display. "Nope," she said, handing the phone back. "That sounds good to me."

"Great," Elsa said. "This Friday at 7pm?"

"Sure thing. See you there." Anna said. "Oops, uh, I mean, I'll see Elsa Schneider there, I guess," she amended.

Elsa chuckled. "I guess I made this a little overcomplicated," she said apologetically.

Anna laughed. "It's fine," she said. She leaned into her sister's shoulder. "Double the Elsas means double the hugs, right?"

Elsa laughed and squeezed Anna's shoulder in response. Anna sighed happily.

That's not quite how it works. But if you want more hugs, I'll give you all the hugs you need.


	5. Chapter 5: Shhh

**Chapter five**

**Shhh**

Anna wiped the sweat from her brow as she crossed the parking lot. The newly paved asphalt radiated heat as she walked towards the theater. It had cooled down a little from the absolute sauna that was the midday heart, but it was still crazy hot.

Looks like Elsa made the right call on this one.

She had suggested to Elsa that they both ride to the theater in the same car, but Elsa had instead opted to take the bus, as there was a stop right outside the theater. Now Anna was sweating, while her sister would no doubt be cool as ice.

Oh well, Anna thought as she reached the door. Just another lesson to learn for future dates.

Scanning through the crowd, Anna quickly picked out the platinum blonde, sitting at a table with a bucket of popcorn and two sodas and made her way toward her. Elsa spotted her as she approached and gave a small wave. Anna forced her way through the crowd and, upon reaching her, greeted her with a hug.

Elsa hugged her back, but in a restrained manner. As someone on their second date would naturally do. Okay, another lesson.

Anna ended the hug and coughed awkwardly. "Miss Schneider," she said.

Elsa chuckled. "Please, call me Elsa," she said. She looked Anna up and down. "You look good," she said.

"Thanks," Anna said. "You look…" She took in Elsa's outfit – a green hoodie and jeans. "…cold?" she finished.

"Oh, I always overdress here," Elsa explained. "They turn up the AC super high in the theaters, especially in the summer."

"Oh. Good thinking," Anna said, pulling on one of the straps of her tank top self-consciously.

I knew that, too. It just didn't occur to me when I was getting ready. She always thinks this stuff though better than me.

"Well, don't worry," Anna said. "I don't get cold easily."

Elsa raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"

Anna smirked. "Yes, really, Elsa, and since we just started dating a couple days ago, I'm sure you don't have any memories that would tell you otherwise!"

Elsa laughed. "Okay, okay," she said. She pulled a pair of tickets out of her pocket and handed one to her. "Shall we be off, then?"

"Sure thing," Anna said. She grabbed the popcorn and her soda, and the two of them headed for the theater. "So what's this movie about, anyway?" she asked.

Elsa launched into a well-prepared explanation. "Well, it's about an Indian farmer who discovers his farm is right above an oil deposit, but then the Indian mob tries to muscle in on it, so he has to fight to defend his home while his sister is…"

Anna listened raptly, leaning into Elsa as she explained. The description seemed to veer through various genres, from action to suspense to romance – all genres Anna enjoyed. She took a sip of her soda, and was pleasantly surprised by the taste of cherry.

She knows just what I like.

xxxxxxx

Explosions rang out across the screen, so powerful they seemed to shake the whole theater. Or maybe that was just her shaking.

Anna wrapped her arms around herself, rubbing her hands up and down her arms to coax some warmth back into them. On-screen, a man jumped out of a moving car, covered in flames. She envied him.

She hadn't remembered the theater being _this_ cold. Did they really need to turn up the AC this high, just because it was summer? Her body was still covered in sweat, which had now cooled and which now further chilled her.

She looked around. A few other people were shivering, but nowhere near as much as her. Then again, nobody else was wearing the same miniskirt and tank top she was. And she'd thought she was being so clever, preparing for the hot weather like this.

She heard a soft rustling to her left. She turned, and saw Elsa shedding her hoodie. She pulled it over her head, bending forward to avoid blocking the view of the people behind her, and then handed it to Anna, holding it out in front of her.

Anna smiled. "Oh, Elsa," she whispered. "You don't have to-"

"Shhh," Elsa whispered, holding a finger to her lips. Lips that were pressed into a warm smile.

Anna nodded and donned the hoodie, feeling emotion welling up inside her. The hoodie was warm, doubly so for having just been on her sister, but it was nothing compared to the warmth that was now radiating from her.

You've always got my back, sis. Always.

When Mom and Dad had started leaving together, Elsa had taken it upon herself to become Anna Caretaker In Chief. She'd gone everywhere with her, to movies, amusement parks – everywhere. Even when she went off to college, she insisted on coming back up to visit every month. At the time, that had seemed excessive to Anna. Now, however, being right by her side, Anna realized that it hadn't been nearly enough.

She pulled the hoodie's drawstrings, closing the hope around her face. It was incredibly high quality, and so soft and plush. It was like being hugged by Elsa, albeit softly. It even smelled like her. And…

She sniffed.

Perfume?

Confusion eked its way into her mind.

Yeah, that's definitely perfume. Chanel #3, I think. Why would she wear perfume for just a simple trip to the movies?

She didn't let it bother her too much. It was probably just another lesson. Elsa Schneider wears perfume on every date, and so should I.

With that mystery solved, she leaned back in her seat and allowed herself to once again focus on the movie, the popcorn, and the wonderful woman seated beside her.

xxxxxxx

"We want our oil, Jahlil," the mob boss said, leaning forward and splaying his hands on the table.

Jahlil leaned back in his chair, confident but alert. "It is not yours," he said. "This is my land. I bought it, I built this property, for fifteen years I have worked on it."

The boss's composure faltered a notch. "Do not speak to me of hard work, boy," he said. "I have spent my whole life building this family, the family which you have so callously killed."

Anna leaned forward in her chair, starting raptly at the screen. She could hear her heart beating away in her chest, so loudly that she thought the people around her might tell her to quiet it.

At lunch today, Anna had researched Bollywood movies to try and figure out what she was in store for. She'd seen dozens of conflicting reports – Bollywood movies were cheesy, they were tonally inconsistent, bombastic, overlong, and so much more. She could now add one more description to that list – they were compelling as hell. Elsa had, once again, made the perfect call for her. As if that was any surprise.

The boss reached into his pocket, and Anna clutched her armrests. Well, the right one, at least. There was something on top of the left armrest.

Elsa jumped, the sudden contact breaking her out of her trance. It seemed she, too, had been enraptured by the story. She turned to Anna, whose mouth opened, apology on the tip of her tongue.

She smiled. "Shhh," she said, pressing a finger to her lips again. She turned her right hand over and clasped Anna's in hers.

Anna was electrified. She shivered as she felt the goosebumps pop up along her arm. And she had no idea why.

We're just holding hands. We've held hands before – including last night.

Yet, somehow, this time felt different. More…intense.

Kristoff had never held her hand like this before. At their movie, he had kept one hand in his lap and held his other along the back of her seat, inches away from touching her, and he had stayed like that for the entire movie. She had surmised that the intention was for him to move his arm closer to her with each dramatic moment that played out onscreen until he was fully embracing her, but he had never done so, and she didn't really have a problem with that. He, on the other hand, had only taken her to one movie, and He hadn't been able to keep His hands off of her. That was right about the time she had started to feel uncomfortable around him. But this felt…just right. Not too much contact, and not too little.

Hang on, a voice in her head said. This is Elsa we're talking about – your sister. And here you are, comparing her to your previous dates, as if this was a real date itself. I think you're starting to get lost in the emotion of this, just like Punzie warned.

Meanwhile, on the screen, the boss had withdrawn his hand, revealing that he had only been grabbing a cigarette and a lighter. The whole audience released a collective held breath. Jahlil, however, hadn't moved a muscle.

"Such bravery, such confidence," the boss said. "Lesser men would praise you for that. But your confidence comes from your inexperience, your childlike naivete. If you knew the real gravity of the situation, of how close you are to losing everything you hold dear, you would be shaking in your shoes."

As Jahlil replied with some snarky retort, the voice returned. What about you, Anna? Do you understand your situation properly? Are you aware of what will happen to your relationship with your sister if you screw something up?

And Anna replied, Shhh.


	6. Chapter 6: Homework

**Chapter six**

**Homework**

Elsa turned to Anna. "Well?" she asked as the credits rolled across the screen. "What did you think?"

"That was awesome!" Anna exclaimed, raising her fists in the air triumphantly. "I loved the action, I loved the story, I loved the ending – it was all great!"

Elsa giggled, buoyed once again by her sister's energy. "Well, I'm glad you had a good time." She pulled out her phone and typed _Does Khrush have an after credits scene_ into her search engine.

"You said that all Bollywood movies are like that?" Anna asked.

Elsa smiled at her. "Not all of them. Some are even more batshit crazy."

"Oh, then we've gotta do this again sometime!" she said.

"Of course," Elsa said. Receiving an answer to her query in the negative, she closed her phone and stood up.

"Like, that part where the guy was doing a handstand on the motorcycle," Anna gushed, following right behind her. "And then he grabbed the gun with his feet – how do you come up with stuff like that?"

Elsa shrugged. "I guess Indians just don't give a shit about logic in their movies," she said.

Anna continued to gush about the movie as they left the theater and walked through the lobby, though she lowered her voice to avoid spoiling it for the people they passed.

Outside, it was cool, as the three-hour movie had brought the sun to the horizon and bathed the parking lot in moonlight. She shivered slightly as a cool breeze swept through. Which reminded her…

"Uh, Anna, my hoodie," she said.

Anna stopped her train of thought. "Huh? Oh, right. Sorry!" she said, grabbing at the hoodie's neckline and tugging.

"Easy, don't stretch it," Elsa said.

Anna's tugs slowed down, then stopped entirely. She turned to Elsa with the garment halfway off, face obscured and arms high in the air. "Uh…a little help?" she said in a muffled voice.

Elsa laughed. "Oh my god, are you serious?"

Anna wiggled, trying to free herself. "Don't laugh," she said.

Shaking her head, Elsa grabbed the hem and slowly lifted it. "What am I going to do with you?" she asked playfully.

Anna's head popped out the bottom of the shirt. "Hold me, feed me, never leave me?" she suggested.

Elsa laughed. "You got it," she said, pulling the hoodie free.

Anna chuckled, then stopped. She shivered in the cold as Elsa reversed the hoodie. "So, there's the bus stop," she said, gesturing to the glass structure. "I guess I'll see you later," she said, a trace of sadness entering her voice.

Elsa nodded. She wished that she could say no, that she could just spend the weekend with her. But if the two hours she'd spent poring over her notes and textbooks had taught her anything, it was that she could not afford to miss another study group.

"Come on," she said, putting her arm around Anna. "I'll walk you to your car."

"Okay!" Anna said, nestling into her sister's arm.

They walked slowly across the parking lot, reveling in their closeness.

Elsa took a deep breath, taking in the familiar scent of Anna. "I've really missed this," she said softly.

"Me too," Anna said. "I haven't had this much fun on a date since…well, for a very long time."

"Me either," Elsa said.

It took her a moment to realize the implications of what she had just said.

"I mean, I had fun, too," she corrected.

Anna chuckled. "I knew what you meant."

Good, thought Elsa. Because I didn't.

"So," Elsa said, recovering, "do you feel like these dates are helping you figure things out about yourself any? Your sexuality?"

Anna thought about it. "I…think so," she said. "Sorta. I'm having a lot more fun with you than with my other dates, but I don't know if it's just being with you that makes the difference."

Elsa nodded. "I thought that might be the case," she said. "That wasn't the main point of these dates, anyway."

"Yeah," Anna said. "How did you figure that out for yourself, anyway?"

Elsa shrugged. "Just by watching porn."

Anna blushed, but motioned for her to go into detail.

"I was just watching vanilla, softcore stuff," she continued. "I realized I was watching the girl more than the guy, so eventually I just started watching girls only. Then I met Belle, and, well, then it was off to the races."

Anna, clearly fighting through her embarrassment, nodded.

"So, if you want my advice, I'd say you just have to…do your homework, so to speak. Figure out what you like and what you don't like. That make sense?"

Anna nodded. "I think so. Thanks for the advice."

Elsa smiled. "Anything for you, sis."

They had made it to Anna's car. Reluctantly, Anna detached herself from her sister and started fishing around for her keys.

"So, anyway," Elsa said, "I'm busy all day tomorrow, but I'm free Sunday."

Anna looked up at her. "That's great! Do you want to do something?" She frowned. "Or…wait, is it weird to go on three dates in one week?"

Elsa laughed. "Not if you really like the person."

"Well, I certainly do," Anna said. "So what did you have in mind?"

"Well, I heard that Angel Island has a new roller coaster," Elsa said. "I thought we could go there, just like old times!"

With that remark, Anna seized up for a second, then her shoulders drooped. "Oh yeah," she said dejectedly. "Helios's Journey. It's alright."

Elsa frowned. "What's wrong? I thought you loved that place."

"I just went there a couple months ago," she said. "With…"

Elsa nodded in understanding. "With him?"

Anna took a deep breath. "Yeah. Him."

Elsa's heart twinged in sympathy. "Okay," she said, giving Anna a reassuring smile. "We don't have to go there."

It was a damn shame. Back when they were little, Anna's eyes used to light up at the mere mention of Angel Island. She had so many fond memories of going there with her sister, holding hands on all the scariest rides, scarfing down all the cotton candy they could stomach, coming home exhausted but proud. And now, all of that was eclipsed by one lousy boyfriend.

"Are you sure?" Anna said, looking into Elsa's eyes. "You sounded excited to go."

"Pfft, it's fine," Elsa said, waving a hand dismissively. "Your happiness is way more important to me than some crummy amusement park. I've been there a million times, anyway."

Anna didn't respond. Instead, she looked down, seemingly in deep thought.

After a while, she looked up. "You know what? No," she said determinedly. "Let's go there."

Elsa blinked. "Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yes," Anna said. "You're right. Angel Island is ours. He doesn't get to take that from us."

Elsa swelled in pride from the confidence in her sister's voice. Yet she also saw her hands shaking.

"Okay, really think about this, Anna," she said carefully. "If you really want to go, I think that'd be good for you. But it might also be painful. Are you sure you want to subject yourself to that?"

Anna took another deep breath. She held out her hand, and Elsa took it. "No, I'm not sure," she said. "But if I have to face them…I'd rather do it with you."

Elsa saw the trust and love in Anna's eyes, and her own eyes started to water. "Okay," Elsa said. "Let's do it."

Anna nodded sharply. "Okay!" she said. "I'll meet you there Sunday at…9?"

"Yeah, that sounds good," Elsa said. "There should be a bus that takes me right there."

She heard a low rumbling and glanced to the left. A green bus drove by on the highway, the same bus she had ridden in on. She remembered it taking roughly five minutes to get from there to the theater.

"Speaking of buses, I should probably get back to the stop," she said. She turned back to Anna. "I'll text you when I-"

Then Anna kissed her on the lips.

Elsa froze in place. Whatever she had just been thinking about was flushed away in an instant by the taste of strawberry chapstick.

After a half second that lasted two minutes, Anna stepped away, blushing heavily. "Uh…I'll s-see you Sunday!" she said, waving as she got into her car.

Elsa waved back, dazed. "See you," she said. She waited until Anna had pulled away, then slowly walked back towards the theater.

Okay, she thought to herself. First question: what was that? Anna never kisses me, especially not on the lips. Was that a kiss for Elsa Schneider, or me?

Second question: why did it affect me so strongly? That was a closed mouth kiss with my sister, so why am _I_ feeling butterflies?

The parking lot offered no answers, only blackness and silence. But silence was good. She could use silence right now to help her think.

I guess I've been getting a little too into this whole 'fake date' thing. It's fun, and it lets me spend more time with Anna, but my brain must be stuck in 'real date' mode. It doesn't help that I haven't seen Esmerelda in a couple months.

Satisfied with her explanations, Elsa felt her heart rate return to normal. She was starting to feel foolish for panicking in the first place.

And why shouldn't she kiss me? Sisters kiss all the time, it's not weird. And she clearly had to work up some courage to do it, so the least I could do is appreciate it.

She reached the stop just as the bus pulled into the parking lot. She hopped on and settled in for the ride back.

Maybe it was a _little_ weird, she admitted. But Anna's put so much of her trust in me. I think I can trust her on this.

xxxxxxx

Oh my god, Elsa, why did you have to turn your head so fast?

Anna felt her heart pounding away at her eardrums as she drove home, hands locked on the steering wheel.

It's funny, how quickly a simple plan can derail. A quick peck on the cheek, then a nice hug, would've been the perfect conclusion to this excellent night. But nope, instead she had to take the last exit to Awkwardtown.

Still, it hadn't been unpleasant, she had to admit. The taste, the smell, the feel – she wouldn't mind doing it again.

With someone who wasn't her sister, of course.

xxxxxxx

The house was…empty without Elsa. No emptier than it had been a week ago, of course, but it sort of felt like it was. Anna flipped on a few extra lights as she walked through the house in an effort to weaken the illusion.

It was going to be a long Saturday without Elsa. Maybe she'd go jogging again – she'd been meaning to for a while. Or maybe she'd send out a few more college applications. She'd already applied to all the schools she wanted to go to, but a few extra couldn't hurt. Or she could always just lie on the sofa and watch Pawn Stars all day. She was sure the History channel would happily oblige.

She stepped into her room. Not tonight, though. Tonight, she had…homework.

She locked the door behind her, fully aware that she had absolutely no reason to. She powered up her laptop, its blue glow illuminating her room in a ghostly pallor.

She started to feel nervous again, and her hands began to shake as she opened up her browser in incognito mode, same as last time. Except this time, she wasn't going to back out at the last second. For this time, she was on a mission from her sister.

You just made it weird again, she told herself. Stop making it weird.

Powering through her nervousness, she pulled up her search engine and typed in the words "Vanilla Pornography." She switched the search results to videos, then began to look at the previews.

A few seconds later, she frantically closed the tab, blushing profusely.

Jesus Christ, _that's_ vanilla?

She stared at the now blank screen, trying to erase the images the previews had planted in her brain. She willed the images out of her head, then opened up her browser again for a second try. She couldn't just quit after one single attempt.

What was that other word Elsa had used? Softcore? Yeah, that sounded about right.

Repeating the same steps as before, Anna typed in her new query. A very different series of videos appeared.

All women. Of course. Well, I have to start somewhere.

She perused the videos until she found one that looked promising – a leggy blonde in jean shorts and a red tank top.

Well, here goes nothing.

As the video started, she was surprised as a smooth jazz song began playing. The gentle saxophone helped ease some of the tension in her body as the video opened on the woman, leaning back in an armchair. She really was gorgeous, with big, pouty red lips and ivory skin. She smiled coquettishly at the camera, and Anna felt her heart flutter.

Okay, question answered. You're a lesbian. You can close the video now.

But she didn't. She kept watching as the woman writhed, slowly and sensually, on the armchair. Anna trembled, and she felt a warmth between her legs.

The woman grabbed her tank top and pulled it over her head, her every movement graceful. She tossed the garment at the camera, giggling and crossing her arms over her chest, now concealed only by a lacy pink bra.

Anna felt the heat between her legs increase. No longer content to just watch, she spread her legs and reached a hand down beneath her waistband, her fingers brushing through the tuft of hair.

On her screen, the woman had turned her back to the camera, and she was unbuttoning and pulling down her jean shorts. Anna traced the outline of her sex, then plunged her fingers into herself.

The feeling was electrifying. Anna inhaled sharply, the sudden feeling of pleasure catching her off guard. Presently, it started to fade, so she kept moving her fingers, thrusting them back and forth.

The woman writhed over the armchair, her gyrating body contrasting with Anna's stock still figure. She seemed to be looking directly at Anna.

Anna curled her toes, barely registering the satisfying cracks they gave off. She moved her fingers faster, and her breathing accelerated as well.

The woman pulled one of her bra straps off of her shoulder, and smiled wickedly as she unhooked it. She shrugged it off, revealing her large, melon-like breasts and hard nipples. It was a flawless body.

So, Anna thought to herself, her mental voice fighting for her attention over the mounting pleasure, do I just keep doing this, or is there some special trick I should –

Her fingers drifted to the side, and touched a new place. Anna gasped.

The pleasure she had been feeling before felt like nothing compared to the euphoria that now blasted through her body. She moved her hand across the sensitive spot again, and another wave shot through her.

Okay, there's the answer.

Anna kept rubbing, faster and faster, the euphoria growing stronger and stronger. The woman danced around on the screen, but she could no longer hear the music. Her hand moved back and forth, back and forth, and she felt her fingers grow wet, and her heart was racing, and the pleasure only grew more and more intense, so much so that she thought she might explode, and the woman was looking at her again and

_FUCK_

Her back arched off of the chair, and she let out a moan. Then it was done.

Anna slumped back into the desk chair, breathing heavily. Her senses, which seemed to have stopped working in that moment of ecstasy, slowly returned to her.

The smooth jazz caught her attention again, and looking at the video, she realized that the woman had not even fully undressed yet. Raising her right hand and finding it sticky, she instead grabbed the mouse with her left hand and closed the browser.

The clamor of feelings and pleasure that had just clouded her head were now gone, leaving only a general feeling of relaxation. Presently, she noticed the damp spot that had appeared on her panties.

I could use a shower.

She gently closed the laptop and exited her room, heading for the bathroom. As she walked, a thought occurred to her.

Holy crap, _that's_ what that feels like?

How does anyone ever leave the house, when they could just do that all day?


	7. Chapter 7: Let it all out

**Chapter seven**

**Let it all out**

Anna took a deep breath.

Okay, you can do this.

It was still early, but not by the park's standards. Already, the parking lot was half full, the vast expanse of blacktop crammed with cars of all shapes and sizes. The peaks and loops of various roller coasters were just visible over the park's walls, hilltops on the horizon, and the cheers and screams of thousands of guests were barely audible, like a soft breeze.

And the memories were already flooding back to her. Both good and bad, of her family and of Him. Only, He was still just him back then, not Him. This was before all the bad things – well, most of them, anyway – before she had known what kind of-

She breathed in again.

None of that matters now. Stop thinking about Him. It's just me and Elsa here today, and I'm going to have a good time, no matter what. Stop thinking about Him.

She began her trek across the parking lot, feeling the sun beat down on her. It wasn't too hot yet, but she knew it was going to be sweltering. Today, though, she felt well prepared for once. She had applied generous quantities of both deodorant and sunscreen before departing the house.

_"If you just used more sunscreen, maybe you wouldn't have so many freckles. Your skin would be flawless if not for-"_

Anna shook her head vigorously. Goddammit, I said to stop thinking about Him!

She forced herself to think of better times, of the many times she and her family had come there. Memories of Him still cast a shadow over them, more vivid than the others due to their recency. The fact that they were, for a time, happy memories did nothing to help.

Well, that just means that this date will overshadow that one, she reasoned. I hope.

Gradually, the screams of distant riders were drowned out by the bustle of pedestrians. The front gate drew near, and to its left Anna saw the first of the many long lines they'd be a part of that day.

Spotting Elsa was easy enough. Rather than waiting in the line, she was lounging against the gate, looking casual in a green tank top – okay, picking up a pattern here – and khaki shorts. The knapsack on her back should've looked comical, but she wore it with confidence and pulled it off.

"Hey, Elsa!" she said, waving at her sister – not sister, Elsa Schneider, remember? – and trotting towards her. Elsa pushed off the wall and quickly closed the distance, opening her arms wide. Anna eagerly embraced her.

Then, as they hugged, Elsa kissed her. On the lips, once again.

See, Anna, Elsa thought, I'm just as comfortable with it as you are.

And Anna thought, ohmygodohmygodohmygod

"Good to see you again, Anna," Elsa said, her voice and face calm and composed as could be. "How's your weekend going?"

"Uh, good," Anna said, schooling her features into what she hoped was an expression just as cool as her sister's - date's - was. "How's yours?"

"Ugh, stressful," Elsa said. "Studying, doing practice exams, banging my head against my textbooks – it's a headache."

"Oh, sorry to hear that," Anna said.

Elsa smiled and shook her head. "It's fine. The whole time, I was just thinking about this trip, about spending time with you. That's what kept me going."

Anna's heart swelled with warmth. "Really?"

"Well, that, and a 32 ounce can of Monster," she admitted. "But mostly that."

She pulled out a pair of tickets from her knapsack. "Come on, let's head in before the lines get too long."

"You have those already?" Anna said in amazement. "You must've gotten here early."

"Nah, I just ordered online and printed them out," she explained. "I don't know why more people don't do that."

"Well, not everyone's as thoughtful as you," Anna said, grabbing one.

Elsa put on an air of mock haughtiness. "Oh, praise me some more, Miss Arendelle," she said in a fancy voice.

Anna chuckled. "No, I'm serious," she said. "You're one of the most thoughtful people I know."

Elsa smiled warmly, a faint blush appearing at her cheeks.

The crowd of people steadily thickened as they approached the gate, a sea of thrill-seekers bottlenecked by five turnstiles.

"Geez, it's gonna be hard to stick together here," Anna said, having to shout over the crowd.

"Don't worry," Elsa called back.

Elsa held out her hand. Anna grasped it, and Elsa intertwined her fingers with hers.

"Just like we used to do!" Elsa declared as she weaved through the crowd, Anna in tow.

Anna nodded. Although it felt slightly different now…

xxxxxxx

"So, Helios's Journey is way over there, in the back," Anna said, pointing at the park map Elsa had grabbed. "The line's probably already an hour long by now."

Elsa nodded. "Which is why we aren't going on it."

"Huh?" Anna said, confused.

"At least not right away," Elsa explained. "Most of the people here probably only came to try that ride, and they're all making a beeline for it." She gestured at the flow of people they had stepped out of to illustrate. "Which means all the other rides in the park should be almost empty for most of the morning."

Anna looked at her. "You're a gosh-darn genius, you know that?"

Elsa grinned. "Yes."

She looked back down at the map. "Let's see," she said. "We've got the Ferris wheel, the Scream Queen, the Dueling Dragons, Thunderstruck-"

Anna pointed at the map. "Ooh, the teacups!" she said excitedly. "I haven't been on those since…" She trailed off and looked at Elsa. "Never mind."

Elsa frowned. "What's wrong?"

Anna stared at her shoes. "Well, it's kind of a kiddie ride, right?" she said. "I bet you wouldn't be interested."

Elsa smiled encouragingly. "Sure I would!" she said. "I loved those things too, you know!"

"Well, all right, then!" Anna said, grabbing Elsa's hand. "Let's do it!"

Elsa followed behind her, hastily folding up the map.

Good idea to do that one this early, too, Elsa thought. Before we've had anything to eat.

xxxxxxx

_The teacups? Really?_

_Yeah, why not?_

_Come on, Anna, that ride's for babies! We're here for the thrill rides!_

_Oh…okay._

_Come on, let's do the Scream Queen._

_S-sure, I like that one._

_Atta girl! Let's do it!_

Anna shook her head, as if she could physically dislodge the memory from her brain. Ahead of them, the teacups slowed to a stop, then disgorged their passengers, who stumbled semi-dazedly to the exit. A few of them looked ready to do some disgorging themselves.

The two of them hopped into the nearest cup, and Anna eagerly grabbed the wheel. Elsa, who moved at a more leisurely pace, giggled.

"You're cute when you get excited, you know that?" she said. Anna stuck out her tongue, but internally she glowed at the compliment.

The cups began to spin again, and the music started up. It was tinny and low quality, but she didn't care.

A new memory bubbled to the surface, an older one this time. Eight years back, the last time she was on this ride, it had been her, Elsa, and Mom. She and Elsa had spun the wheel as hard as they could, but Mom had held it tightly, keeping their rotations slow and controlled.

She looked at Elsa with a sly grin. Elsa nodded. Without a word, they both tugged at the wheel, spinning it clockwise.

The cup lurched, rapidly accelerating. The two kept turning, and the teacup spun faster and faster. Anna started sliding along the seat and had to adjust her posture to stop from sliding out altogether. Elsa's braid whipped around gaily, and Anna's hair flowed freely as well. Anna laughed at the sensation, enjoying the feeling of the wind on her face once again. She looked out the side of the teacup and saw only a blur, the park flying by in a whirlwind.

Soon, she wished she hadn't. She felt her stomach lurch, and her head started to realize how fast they were spinning. She looked forward and down, at her hands, which were still turning the wheel. She let go, but the queasiness continued to build.

Anna looked up at Elsa. She began to open her mouth, then stopped.

Elsa's eyes were closed and her arms were up in the air. She was smiling ear to ear, and it looked like she was laughing, too. She was so content and carefree, without a hint of her usual restraint.

Anna's entreaty to slow down died in her throat. A little motion sickness wasn't going to make her bring her sister down from this high. Instead, she threw her own arms up and enjoyed the ride, rising turmoil in her stomach be damned.

Besides, it's not like I'm gonna-

xxxxxxx

Breathe deeply, that's the key. Deep breaths of some nice, clean oxygen.

She was bent over, hands on her knees, just outside of the teacups. She felt a hand on her back, probably Elsa's.

"That's it," Elsa said soothingly. "Just take it slow. Inhale, exhale."

Elsa flagged down a passing park employee. "Get me one of those, please," she said, holding out a ten dollar bill and pointing at something on a nearby stand. The man nodded, and she turned back to Anna.

Anna continued to stare at the pavement. "It's still moving," she mumbled.

"What?"

"The ground's still moving," she said, swaying. She wiped some sweat off her forehead. "Tell them to turn it off, before I...make another mess."

"If you have to do it again, do it," Elsa said. "Don't try to hold it in, that just makes it worse."

Anna glanced up at her. "I know how puke works, Elsa," she said sardonically.

Elsa bristled, and Anna lowered her eyes again. "Sorry," she said.

"It's okay," Elsa said, continuing to stroke her sister's back. Her gentle touch soothed her immensely.

Anna wiped her forehead again. The early morning heat felt much more oppressive now.

"Did I get you at all?" she asked.

"No, actually," Elsa answered. "I think you turned your head at the last moment."

"Well, that's good, at least," Anna said.

Suddenly, she felt a cool mist hit the back of her neck. She turned around, surprised, and saw Elsa holding a newly purchased misting fan.

"How's that feel?" she asked.

"Wonderful," Anna said gratefully. "Get my face next, please?"

Elsa obliged, then spritzed her arms and legs, then returned to the back of the neck. Anna sighed deeply, the cool water soothing and refreshing her.

"Oh, that feels so good," Anna moaned. "You're a lifesaver."

Elsa blushed at the compliment. "Thanks," she said.

"I mean it," Anna said, standing herself up straight. She wobbled a little, so she put her hands on Elsa's shoulders to steady herself. "You're always looking out for me like this. Whenever I screw up, you've got my back."

Now Elsa was really blushing. "Don't give me too much credit," she said. "After all, it was kinda my fault to begin with."

Anna blinked. "Your fault?" she said, puzzled.

"I stopped paying attention," Elsa said. "I should've noticed you were getting queasy, but I let my guard down."

Anna had mostly recovered now, and she squeezed Elsa's shoulders. "Now hold on just a minute, Elsa Schneider," she said. "I seem to recall that I was turning the wheel just as fast as you were. Plus, it was my idea to ride in the teacup, and it's my breakfast that's all over it right now."

"Well, yeah, of course, but I could've-"

Anna looked into her eyes. "It's my fault, Elsa. I made the choice, and I suffered the consequences."

Elsa wilted. "Well, I don't like to see you suffer," she said quietly.

Anna struggled to think of a good response, so she went for a hug instead.

"I appreciate that," she whispered. "A lot."

"I'm glad," Elsa whispered in return.

Once they pulled away, Anna chuckled. "I'd have gone for a kiss on the cheek, but…" She breathed on her hand and smelled it, then grimaced.

Elsa laughed. She reached into her knapsack and pulled out a bottle of water, small remnants of ice cubes floating in it.

"Drink this," she said. "Then we can talk about kissing."


	8. Chapter 8: Overwriting

**Chapter eight**

**Overwriting**

"So, where to next?" Anna asked, hopping to her feet and handing her sister the empty bottle.

"Next?" Elsa said, alarmed. "You're ready to go already?"

"Yeah, of course," Anna said. "I feel pretty great, actually."

Through the crowd, she spotted an electric display showing wait times. "Looks like Thunderstruck only has a 20 minute wait time. You wanna do that one?"

"Well, sure, but…are you sure you're good?" Elsa said worriedly.

"If I'm not good now, I definitely will be in 20 minutes," Anna pointed out.

Somewhat mollified, Elsa nodded, and the two began to fight their way across the sea of people.

"Stay close," Elsa said, holding out her hand. "We don't want to get separated."

Anna nodded. "Good idea," she said. She reached towards Elsa's hand.

Let's see, this is how you did it in the theater, right?

She grasped Elsa's hand, intertwining her fingers with Elsa's. Elsa's eyes widened, but she said nothing. Together, they weaved through the crowds, Anna leading but never tugging.

Anna's heart was pounding. She felt like it shouldn't be, but it was. There was just something more…intimate about holding hands like this. But was it sister intimate or date intimate?

She looked back at Elsa. She offered only a warm smile.

Well, Elsa's smiling, and my arm is tingling all over. So I must be doing something right.

xxxxxxx

The line advanced, and the boarding zone came into view.

Elsa could hardly believe it. Sure, it would probably be the shortest line they'd be in that day, but it really hadn't felt like 20 minutes had passed at all. All she'd been doing was chatting with Anna, listening to how she was doing in her classes – very well, it turned out – and the line had just flown by. She would've checked her watch to confirm, but this would've meant spilling beer over herself.

Anna looked at the comically large beer cup, now half empty. Elsa waved it in her direction. "Sure you don't want some?" she offered.

"No thanks," Anna said. "Still 18, remember? Besides, I hate the taste of that stuff."

Elsa laughed. "You don't drink it for the taste, silly."

The next group of passengers boarded the ride, and now the two of them were at the very front. The ride attendant looked at her disapprovingly. "No drinks on the-"

"Ah," Elsa said, holding up her finger. She lifted the cup to her lips, inhaled, and started to drink. Anna watched, in awe, as the liquid quickly drained from the cup. Thirty seconds later, as the next set of cars rolled in, she lowered the now empty cup.

She grinned at Anna. "Never let anyone tell you that you don't learn anything useful in college," she said, tossing the cup into the trash. The attendant rolled his eyes.

Elsa hopped into the front seat, and Anna got in right beside her. "Are you excited?" Elsa asked.

"Yep!" Anna said as she lowered the restraining bar. "This is my favorite ride here!"

"Really," Elsa said. The car started to move, and a speaker built into the headrest started playing a guitar riff. "I actually don't remember this one."

Anna gapped at her. "You don't?" she said incredulously.

"Not really. Mom only took us on it once, remember. Then she said it was too intense and never let us ride it again."

Anna laughed. "Dad was a bit more…relaxed about it."

The car, which had slowly started to ascend the first hill, stopped suddenly. Elsa shot a glance over at her sister, who grinned wickedly. "Hold on tight, sis," she said.

At that instant, the car shot forward, coinciding with the screech of Brian Johnson's voice. Elsa's knuckles turned white, and her expression shifted from confused to terrified.

Anna let out a thrilled scream as the car sailed over the first hill, then headed down, gaining still more speed as it did. She threw her arms into the air, her earlier motion sickness a distant memory.

"Come on, Elsa!" she shouted. "Hands in the air!" But her cry was drowned out by the wind, the screams of other riders, and AC/DC. Laughing, Anna took Elsa's hand in hers and raised it high.

Elsa's already stimulated senses now went into overdrive. Her adrenaline surged, and the wind whipped away her surprised gasp. She looked at Anna, laughing gaily, and started to laugh herself. She raised her other arm, and allowed herself to be swept away in emotion.

xxxxxxx

The two sisters stumbled out of the ride and down the stairs, arm in arm.

"So, what did you think of it?" Anna asked.

Elsa struggled to find the words. "It was…it was…"

"Intense?" Anna offered.

"Insane!" Elsa declared, throwing her hands in the air.

Anna chuckled. "Now you see why it's my favorite," she said.

"How did it do that…thing at the beginning, where it went fast before the first hill?" Elsa asked.

"They use something called a LIM, or Linear Induction Motor. See, it uses electromagnets to propel the cart by…" Suddenly aware that she had begun to ramble, she trailed off. "Sorry," she said.

"No, no, go on," Elsa said, tousling get happy playfully. "I love it when you nerd out like that."

Anna chuckled. "I know, I know," she said. Still, she didn't resume her explanation.

Elsa frowned. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing," Anna said. "I've just been trying to cut back on those lengthy stories lately. I've noticed some people tend to lose interest when I talk too long about things."

Elsa's expression darkened. "It's because of him, isn't it?"

Anna looked down. "Partially," she admitted.

Elsa gently draped her arms around Anna's shoulders. "What did he say?" she asked, trying to keep her voice soft and soothing while containing her own rising anger.

"Well, He didn't really_ say_ anything," Anna said. "He'd just kind of start to look at other things, His attention would wander, sometimes He'd check his phone…"

"Then he's an asshole," Elsa said, squeezing Anna's shoulder. "And an idiot."

"Yeah," Anna said, not sounding enthusiastic about it.

But Elsa wasn't done yet. "Let me tell you something," she said. "When you start talking about something you know and care a lot about, you're goddamn adorable. Your enthusiasm is like…like a balloon. It lifts everyone else in the room higher. If he couldn't see that, then his head must be screwed on backwards."

Anna giggled. She reached up and patted Elsa's had appreciatively. "Thanks, Elsa," she said. "You're always so nice to me, I…" She trailed off again, but this time, it was due to her own attention being diverted. "Hey, I think your braid got kinda messed up on that ride," she said, feeling along the braid's length.

"Really?" Elsa ran her fingers through her hair, feeling the disheveled strands. "Ah, shit," she said, letting go of Anna for a moment. "I should've seen this coming." She took a closer look at Anna's head. "Yours are a little messed up, too. It's not too bad, though."

While Anna inspected her plaits, Elsa unbraided her hair, untwisting the elaborate, now messy braid. Grabbing a hairband from her bag, she swept her hair behind her, gathered it all together, and bound it in a nice simple ponytail.

"There, that works," she said, satisfied. "I've got another band if you want to do the same, Anna." She turned. "…Anna?"

Anna had been starting as she had fixed her hair, with a semi-awed smile on her face. Upon Elsa's remark, she snapped out of it, then began to stammer.

"Oh, nothing, it's just, uh…you reminded me of those shampoo commercials, when you flipped your hair like that," she explained.

Elsa chuckled. "Oh, you mean like this?" she said, running a hand across her ponytail and tossing it loosely, trying to emulate the cascade effect.

"Heh, yeah," Anna said. "It's really…" She trailed off, trying to find the right words.

"Attractive?" teased Elsa. "Gorgeous? Stunning?"

Anna blushed. "Y-yeah," she said. "Exactly."

Elsa feel silent. She had meant it as a joke, but judging for her expression, those had been exactly the words Anna had been thinking of.

"Hey, uh," Anna said, trying to change the subject. "Let's go see our photos."

"Good idea," Elsa said, falling in behind her.

It's no big deal at all, she told herself. She's complimented me on my looks hundreds of times in the past, and I've done the same to her. Totally normal, totally platonic.

Then why was she acting like it was a big deal? Does that mean she felt different about saying it this time?

As they approached the kiosk, she shrugged it off.

No, it's probably nothing. I'm just letting my filthy mind ruin a perfectly innocent situation. Yet again.

With that settled, she turned her mind to the vastly more important task of locating their photos. Yes, that was much more pressing and suspenseful. What if their hair was messed up? That'd be a disaster!

Finally, she located it on the top row. Surprisingly, their hair looked fine. Anna's plaits we're pointing in odd directions, but it still looked fine. Elsa's face, on the other hand…

She looked up at her own face, a feeling of embarrassment swelling inside her.

Fuck, was I really _that_ surprised?

A stifled laugh from her side told her that Anna had also seen the photo. She looked sideways at Anna, hoping her blush wasn't showing.

"We've gotta get that photo," Anna said.

"We are not getting that photo," Elsa deadpanned.

"Come on, Elsa, look at it! It's great!"

"No, Anna," she said, beginning to walk away.

"We could put it on our Christmas cards this year. Imagine Aunt Sally seeing that!"

"Not even that funny, Anna."

"Aw, don't be like that! It looks attractive. Gorgeous. Stunning, even!"

"I want another beer."

xxxxxxx

"Are you sure you can handle that?" Anna asked.

Elsa raised the cup to her lips, squinting as the motion sent the afternoon sun directly into her eyes. "What do you mean?" she asked, lowering it again..

"Well, that's kind of a lot of beer, isn't it?"

Elsa scoffed. "Pfft, you kidding? I've only had four."

"Well, yeah, but…" Anna held her hands apart, indicating the dimensions of the cups in question.

"It's fine, Anna," Elsa said. "Thanks for the concern, but I know my limits. Trust me, you figure this stuff out in college."

"Okay," Anna said. "Just be careful. You remember last year's 4th of July party, right?"

Elsa raised an eyebrow. "No, what happened?"

Anna seemed surprised. "You don't remember at all?"

Elsa thought about it. "No, I guess not."

"Well, Uncle Dan kept bringing you shots, you started getting loopy, Evan pulled out his phone and took a video, and you started talking about-" Anna cut herself off abruptly.

Elsa regarded her curiously. "What? What did I say?" she asked, amused.

"Uh, well…it's not important," Anna said. "I'm not trying to embarrass you, just…give you a warning, y'know?"

"…Okay," Elsa said. She let it pass, but she felt a burning curiosity rising inside her.

Hastily attempting to change the subject, Anna fished the map out of Elsa's pack. "So, anyway, where do you want to go next?" she said, glancing it over. "We've done most of the big ones already. How about…the Firebolt?"

Elsa shook her head. "I can't stand those wooden coasters. Makes my head rattle like a maraca."

"Fair point," Anna said. "There's the arcade, but that's all the way on the other side of the park. The closest one left to us is…"

Anna fell silent. She lowered the map, then looked up and saw it looming just over the trees. "The Ferris wheel," she said.

Elsa noticed the shift in her tone, and turned to look at her. Anna's eyes had widened, and she was gripping the map tighter.

"Anna?" she said. "What's wrong?"

Anna didn't answer, but continued to stare at the wheel.

"You know what, it doesn't matter," Elsa said. She put her hand on Anna's shoulder. "Let's not do the wheel this time."

The contact broke Anna out of her trance. "Are you sure?" she said, trying to sound casual. "I…I thought you liked it."

Elsa raised an eyebrow. "Well, clearly you don't," Elsa said.

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Anna said, in an even more hokey voice.

Elsa looked into her eyes. "Anna, tell me what's wrong or don't tell me. Just don't lie to me about it."

She was surprised – Anna almost never lied to her. And she'd been remarkably honest so far.

Anna took a deep breath. "He kissed me at the top of the wheel."

xxxxxxx

_The cabin swayed in the breeze. Anna shivered. He wrapped his arm around her, and she happily snuggled up beside him._

_"This is nice, isn't it?" she said._

_He looked at her, a wry smile on his face. "Yeah, it is. We can't be on the fast-paced rides all the time. It's nice to slow down once in a while."_

_Their cabin neared the top of its arc, and Anna gazed over the park. Basked in the evening light, the park stretched out beneath them. Anna gaped at the view._

_"Beautiful, isn't it?" he said beside her._

_She turned to look at him. "Yeah-"_

_The sentence caught in her throat. He was looking directly at her, and his face was mere inches away from hers._

_"The most beautiful thing I see is right in front of me," he said in a low and sultry voice. He placed his hand on her chin and pulled her in close…_

xxxxxxx

Elsa winced. "I'm sorry," she said, drawing Anna in for a hug. "I shouldn't have pressed you about it."

"It's okay," Anna sniffled. She clutched Elsa tight, and Elsa rubbed her back. "I should've told you before."

Elsa didn't answer, instead continuing to stroke her sister's back. She had known this was bound to happen sometime today, and she was prepared to do whatever necessary to console her sister.

"I've b-been able to ignore everything else," Anna said, voice wavering. "To forget about the past, and just have fun in the moment. But this…"

"I know, I know," Elsa said comfortingly, now stroking her hair. "Some memories are just too strong, some feelings too intense."

"I…I didn't…hate it," she said. She buried her face in Elsa's chest and mumbled something else.

Elsa pulled her just a hair's breadth away from her chest. "What was that?"

Anna looked up at her with watery eyes. "I liked it," she croaked.

Elsa blinked.

"I wish I didn't," she continued. "But I enjoyed it. Even now, it's still a…happy memory."

Elsa sighed deeply. "It was your first kiss, wasn't it?" she said.

Anna shook her head. "No. But it was the first kiss where we…where His mouth…He…"

Elsa nodded understandingly. She pulled Anna back to her chest, and Anna's words faded into whimpers.

"It would be easier if they were all bad memories, wouldn't it?" she said.

Anna nodded. "I just keep thinking about it," she said. "Even when I'm doing something else, I'll think back to how good it felt, and think maybe I should've…should've not…"

Once again, she fell silent, this time seemingly afraid of her own confession.

Elsa's heart ached. Now, more than ever before, she wished she could get her hands on this piece of shit. Not only had he broken Anna's heart, but he was still clinging onto a piece. No matter who she dated after this, he'd still haunt her, casting a shadow over even her happiest moments. If only she could overwrite these memories, erase them from Anna's mind. But the only thing she could think of was…

The idea hit her suddenly, and the argument against it surfaced almost as quickly. But looking at Anna in her arms, she felt that the time was right for decisive action.

"Let's ride it," she said. "If you want to, of course."

Anna looked at her, blinking away tears. "The wheel?" she said.

Elsa nodded. "I can't erase that memory. But maybe we can make a better one." Elsa paused.

"If you don't want to do that, I understand 100%," she added. "No pressure on you at all."

Anna thought about it. Elsa swore she could see the internal debate going on just behind her eyes.

Then she nodded. "We've come this far," she said. "Let's do it."

"Okay," Elsa said.

Then the two of them walked towards the Ferris wheel, Elsa setting a brisk pace, lest she have time to second-guess herself.

xxxxxxx

Of course, it doesn't work like that, does it?

The line was incredibly short, five minutes at most, but five minutes was still more than enough time for doubts to set in. By the time they were seated in a cabin, Elsa was already unsure of her plan. And then the damn thing still had to reach the top.

Two weeks ago, she wouldn't have thought twice about this plan. It would've just been a simple favor, nothing more. And four beers ago, she wouldn't have dared try it. But their past few…dates put the idea in a new light.

She saw that Anna was trembling. She put her hand over Anna's to steady it. This only further deepened her own concerns, though.

All this time, she'd been shrugging off the idea that she and Anna had been doing anything but platonic roleplay. Elsa Schneider was just a stupid nickname she had thought up at the last second. And still, she was trying to further justify this as a mere extension of that persona. But that only went so far. There was a line, and the more Elsa thought about it, the more sure she was that this would be crossing it.

Her first kiss with Belle had been romantic. In a darkened car, just as she dropped Elsa off at her dorm, she had punctuated the night perfectly. Elsa still remembered the heady smell of her perfume, and the heavenly taste of her lipstick. Anna, no doubt, had had a similarly euphoric moment, that was now tethered to a monster. She wanted to free her sister from that. But to replace that with an equally sensual moment with her own sister…

The cabin was halfway up the wheel. The expanse of the park, while not cast in orange, was still majestic. Neither sister looked at it.

It's too late now, another voice in her head countered. You've already gotten into the car with her. If you don't follow through with this, you'll have just dragged up her own trauma again for no reason. Besides, it's not that much of a step beyond what you've already done. She kissed you on the lips, don't forget that.

That logic was comforting, but not bulletproof. Clearly, an open-mouthed kiss was a big leap. It had been for her in the past, and it surely would be again. If it wasn't going to be a big deal, there would be no reason to be doing it. Not to mention, she still hadn't asked Anna about the results of her homework. That would cast this in an entirely different light, and to bring it up now would make it even more obvious.

The most shocking realization, though, was that she was starting to actually want the kiss – not just want it, desire it. She was picturing Anna's luscious red lips, pulling her closer with an arm around her slim waist-

Knock it off! That's your _sister_ you're drooling over. You're doing this for her, pervert, not yourself.

I thought I wasn't going to do this at all?

Aargh!

The cabin was almost at its peak, and Elsa's confidence was gone. She couldn't do this. It had been a bad idea, and she should've realized it from the start. She had no choice but to apologize for Anna, and hope that her dumbass move wouldn't ruin their date-their trip completely.

She turned to Anna and opened her mouth. She left it hanging.

Anna was looking right at her with half-lidded eyes. She had scooted closer to her on the seat, and was leaning into her. She didn't look sad, or traumatized. She looked…anticipatory.

"I think I understand what you meant," she said quietly. "About making a better memory." Her body was trembling, but her voice was steady.

Elsa swallowed. "Yeah," she said. "It was…a spur of the moment idea…kinda stupid…"

Anna placed her other hand on the two that were already intertwined. "Not at all," she said. "I want to try it. See if it helps any."

Elsa desperately tried to steady her voice. "R-Really?"

Anna managed a grin. "Miss Schneider," she said, "it would be my genuine pleasure."

That's a line from somewhere, a voice in Elsa's mind registered. She ignored it.

Well, fuck, there's really no turning back now, is there?

Elsa turned her body so that it was fully facing Anna's. With her free hand, she stroked the side of Anna's face. Anna shivered, but didn't flinch. She saw a longing in Anna's eyes, which mirrored her own.

"Do you want me to le-" Elsa began. Anna moved in.

Elsa jolted as their lips connected. Seeing as Elsa's mouth was already open, Anna wasted no time in opening hers. Anna's tongue darted forward, then hesitated.

Elsa, now fully committed, sent her own tongue forward. The two touched, and goosebumps pricked up across Elsa's arms. Elsa's eyes closed as the taste of her sister washed over her.

A moan escaped from Anna's mouth, muffled. Instinctively, Elsa advanced forward in response, her tongue dancing around Anna's mouth. Anna was breathing heavily through her nose, and common sense returned to Elsa just long enough to pull back for a second, allowing both of them a breath of air before coming back together.

Anna was clumsy, but more experienced than Elsa had expected, and now her tongue surged into Elsa's mouth. Elsa countered, leaning forward and sliding her tongue across Anna's as her mind frantically tried to regain control.

This has to stop soon. Or else it might never stop.

After a brief eternity, Elsa placed her hand on top of Anna's and tapped twice. Anna understood the signal, and the two broke away. They both slumped back in their seats, physically drained.

After a few seconds of heavy breathing, Elsa turned to Anna. "How…was that?" she asked apprehensively.

Anna inhaled deeply, then grinned. "Great," she said. "Really great!"

Elsa breathed a sigh of relief. "Good," she said. I didn't screw everything up, after all.

Anna leaned forward, still grinning. "Yeah, you're way better at it than he was!" she said brightly.

Elsa wearily smiled back, amazed at her sister's nonchalance. "It just comes with experience," she said, surprising herself with her own nonchalance.

Anna giggled. "Well, I can't wait to get some!" she remarked.

Elsa blinked. "Uh…" she said uncertainly.

"With other girls, of course!" Anna added hastily. "I bet it'll be a lot easier now!"

"Right, right," said Elsa, reassured. She smiled lovingly at her sister – her _sister_, her brain emphasized. "You're gonna break a lot of hearts, that's for sure."

Anna looked worried. "Oh, I hope not," she said.

Elsa chuckled. "It's just an expression. I'm sure every girl in your school is gonna want you once you get back there. They'll just smell the pheromones oozing off you!"

Anna laughed. "Dare to dream, Elsa. Dare to dream."

Elsa placed her hands behind her head, feeling a deep sense of contentment. That one voice inside her head was screaming in disapproval, but she ignored it. Right now, she was totally convinced that she had done the right thing. Anna was happy, and that meant that she was happy.

They stepped off the Ferris wheel a minute later, but Anna's feet never touched the ground.


	9. Chapter 9: And a day

**Chapter nine**

**And a day**

The sun was turning red. So was Elsa.

"I thought you said you put on sunscreen today?" Anna said, puzzled.

"I did," Elsa said. "But I was going to apply another coat at noon, and I forgot."

She touched her arms and face gingerly, testing out the reddest parts of her and wincing slightly at her own touch. She noticed the piteous look Anna was giving her. "Don't worry," she said. "I came prepared for this, too."

She fished around in her bag and pulled out a small bottle of aloe vera. "I've got a bigger one at home, but this'll do for now." She carefully inspected Anna's skin. "Are you burnt at all?"

Anna shook her head. "I probably have a few new freckles, but no, not burnt anywhere."

"Good, I like your freckles," she said nonchalantly. Anna beamed.

Elsa popped the cap and gently applied the aloe to her face and arms. She turned away from Anna as she applied it around the top of her tank top.

Oh, being modest all of a sudden? After what you pulled in the Ferris wheel?

Not for the first time that day, Elsa told her inner voice to shut the fuck up. She reached over her shoulder, coating the back of her neck, but struggled to reach between her shoulder blades. She sheepishly turned to Anna. "Hey, could you do me a little favor, Anna?" she asked.

"Huh? Oh, of course," Anna said. Plucking the bottle from her sister's hand, she poured a generous dollop onto her hand and smeared it on Elsa's back. Elsa stifled a gasp from the contact, but Anna must've felt her body shift. If she did, though, she didn't mention it as she spread the aloe.

"Wow, Elsa, your shoulders are so tense," Anna remarked.

"Are they?" Elsa asked. She felt pretty calm at the moment, the whole 'I just kissed my sister' thing notwithstanding.

"Yeah, like, super tense," she said. "Are you stressed out over something right now?"

Elsa scratched her head. "Exams, I guess. But who doesn't stress about those?"

Anna shrugged, saying nothing. But Elsa soon realized the answer.

Anna doesn't stress about exams. Because she actually studies properly for them, prepares well in advance, and probably doesn't spend her weekends browsing the internet and wondering what Scarlett Johansson would be like in-

Her self-dressing down was interrupted by a sudden, unexpected stimulus. Anna had run her fingers under the straps of her top.

The analytical part of Elsa's brain told her that, of course she did. She was making sure to get an even coating. They did it all the time back in the day, when they applied sunscreen to each other – it wasn't even unusual. But that part of her brain wasn't running the show right now.

Her breathing quickened, and her heart followed apace. The feeling of Anna's gentle caress on her back sent her mind back to a place she had been trying to avoid ever since the wheel. Her eyes darted around, trying to find something that might distract her.

Anna lifted her hands. "Okay, Elsa, how does that fe-"

Elsa pointed. "Look, a fortune telling booth!" she said.

Anna blinked. "Oh, uh, yeah," she said, puzzled by the sudden shift.

"You wanna, uh, get your fortune told?" she asked, fully aware of how awkward the statement was.

Anna took it in stride. "Sure," she said. "I would love to."

She trotted off towards the booth, with Elsa right behind.

Smooth move, miss Schneider. I'm sure she doesn't suspect a thing.

The booth was a tiny little thing, a simple box against a wall. It was painted purple and covered in stars, and the words _Madame Zeroni's Fortune Booth_ were scrawled in ornate gothic lettering across the top. Madame Zeroni was a puppet of a dark-skinned wizened old woman in gypsy attire – wonder what Esme would think of the stereotypes on display here – and her voice emanated from a tinny speaker as soon as they drew near.

_"To receive your fortune, simply enter my domain and press the button below, my children. You may like it, you may not, but you cannot avoid your own destiny."_

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Anna said, squeezing into the booth. Elsa followed into the cramped space, forcibly squeezed against Anna. She placed a quarter into the slot and pressed the button. A short clip of 'mystical' music player, before being cut off abruptly as a small piece of paper was printed out.

_"Your fortune has been dispensed," _Madame Zeroni said in a grave intonation. _"Now, depart from this place, and meet it!"_

Elsa and Anna both jumped at the sudden harshness in her declaration, then laughed at themselves for doing so. They squeezed out of the booth again, Anna grabbing the paper.

"I've seen that thing every time we come here," Elsa said. "Never been inside it."

"Well, was it everything you hoped for?" Anna asked, grinning.

"Well, show me our destiny, and I'll tell you," Elsa said.

Anna slung an arm around her. "You got it, chief." She unfolded the paper, and they both squinted at the small writing within.

_True love is but an arm's length away._

Elsa blinked, rereading the paper to make sure she'd read it correctly. She looked at Anna. "That's…interesting."

Anna snorted. "Yeah. And wrong."

"Huh?"

"Well, just look at us," Anna said, gesturing between them. "We're less than an arm's length away, right?"

"I…guess so," Elsa said, uncertain where Anna was going with this.

"And we were even closer in the booth. So she got it wrong!" Anna was speaking loudly, as if increased volume would increase her confidence as well. It seemed very…unusual.

However, having just escaped from her own awkward situation, Elsa felt no desire to interrogate Anna about this one. "Guess so," she said. "Hey, do you wanna go get some cotton candy next?"

"Yes, that sounds great," Anna said, gratefully seizing on the lifeline. She took Elsa's hand, which Elsa had thankfully gotten accustomed to by now, and they walked towards the concession stand together.

Still, Elsa couldn't quash her curiosity. Why would that fortune have elicited such an odd response from her?

xxxxxxx

_"Come on, babe, let's get our fortune told!"_

_"Okay!" Anna said, trotting towards the booth with her hand in his._

_He had to bend over to fit in it. Once inside, the two listened patiently to the spiel, then deposited the money._

_"So, what do you think it's going to say?" he asked her._

_"Oh, probably something generic, like 'You were made for each other' or 'Lucky numbers 10, 14, 27'."_

_He barked out a laugh. "Oh, don't be so cynical, babe!" he said, snatching the paper from the slot. "Though that first one doesn't sound so bad."_

_The two exited the booth, and he unfolded the paper._

_His brow furrowed. "The fuck is this?" he said._

_Anna took a look at the paper. It took a moment to read the scrawling text, but she figured it out._

To hold is not to have.

_"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he said, looking at the booth accusatorily._

_Anna tried to make light of the situation. "Ah, it's nothing. Some employee probably stuffed a bunch of rude ones in there as a prank." She cupped a hand to her mouth. "Hear that? You're full of baloney, Madame Zeroni!"_

_His scowl didn't abate. "Yeah," he said, not looking at her. He wheeled around and took her hand. "Come on, Anna, let's go on the tilt-a-whirl next."_

_"Okay," Anna said, hurrying after him. It was still bothering him, though. She could tell, based on how hard he was gripping her hand._

xxxxxxx

Anna licked the remnants of her cotton candy, like a cat licking its fur.

Elsa snickered. "Oh my god, stop," she said, nudging her playfully.

"What?" Anna said in mock indignation. "It's better this way."

"If you say so," Elsa said.

The crowds around them had thinned to a trickle. By 4:30, they had been down to half their initial size – now, the park was close to empty. The two girls strolled down the main path of Angel Island, feeling as if they had the whole place to themselves.

"So…I guess this is dinner?" Elsa pointed out.

Anna shrugged. "Guess so," she said, voice muffled by processed sugar.

Elsa smiled. "Good thing we're young and invincible, eh?"

Anna nodded.

Elsa looked around. "So, where are we headed?"

"You'll see," Anna said.

She took a turn down a side path, and Elsa followed right behind her. Anna's expression started to grow more solemn, but she still gave Elsa a reassuring smile.

"This has been a lot of fun, Elsa," she said. "I'm very glad that you suggested it."

"That's good," Elsa said. "I really enjoyed spending all this time with you. This whole past week…it's been so good."

Anna laughed. "It has. Definitely the best dates I've ever been on."

Elsa also laughed, a little nervously. "Yeah," she said. "And now that you know what good dates are like, your next relationship will be even better!"

"Yeah, that's right," Anna said. She smirked. "Of course, I don't know how any other girls I meet could ever stack up to Elsa Schneider."

"I'm flattered, miss Arendelle," Elsa said, putting a hand to her chest. "You're pretty fantastic yourself, you know."

Anna tossed one of her plaits over her shoulder. "Yes, I am," she said. "Thank you for noticing."

They both laughed again. Anna threw her cone away and wrapped her arm around Elsa's waist, and they kept walking.

Eventually they made their way to a sort of garden area, one they hadn't been to all day. A massive flower bed was arranged into the letters AI, and benches and trees were dotted all around the grassy area. Anna gently steered them towards a large beech tree off to the side.

"I've been steering us away from this spot all day," Anna confessed. "I didn't want to face it, but…now, I think you should see it." She motioned toward the tree.

Elsa nodded and walked over to the tree, though she now had a feeling she knew what she'd find.

It was about four feet up the tree. She had a feeling that it hadn't been Anna that did it. Her hearts always tapered at the bottom, while this one was just two half-circles and two lines.

HS+AA

4EVER

"Hans Suthernile," Anna said quietly.

Elsa turned to look at her. Her hands were clasped in front of her, and she was looking down.

"He said he wanted to leave a memorial here, to our date. To us. So he pulled out his pocketknife – he called it a pocketknife, but it was really big – and just carved into the tree when nobody else was looking." She shuffled her feet. "I was shocked, but I also thought it was really romantic."

Elsa nodded understandingly. She wanted to chime in and say something helpful, but she seemed Anna wasn't done yet.

"T-trees," she said, "grow at their tops." She looked up at Elsa, who motioned for her to continue. "That's what I told Hans when he did this. That means that this mark won't ever move up or down, or stretch, or fade. It'll just be here, in the same place. Forever." She hung her head again, and sniffled.

Elsa took her hand. "It must've been very romantic, at the time," she said sadly. Anna nodded. "But, in fact, that's not correct."

Anna looked at her, confused.

"Sure, it won't grow out naturally," Elsa continued. "But this?" She tapped the tree. "It's just bark. The surface level. All it takes is a little effort to remove it."

She pulled out her own pocketknife and walked over to the tree. She slid the blade under the point of the heart, then began to saw back and forth with it. She worked around the perimeter of the heart, delaminating it all around. Once she had made a full revolution, she sheathed the knife and began to pick at the bark. Piece by piece, the letters came off, leaving only the pale white tree underneath.

"Now this," she said, gesturing at the white heart, "is different. It's not bark, so anything you write on it will be a lot harder to get rid of. But it's a blank slate." She handed the knife to Anna, who hesitantly took it. "You can write whatever you want on it."

Anna stared at the tree, unsure of what to do. Then an idea struck her. She stuck the knife into the wood, and began to carve. Elsa watched silently, waiting until she completed it all. Anna stepped back and handed back the knife, and Elsa looked at the new engraving.

EA+AA

4EVER

+1D

"Forever and a day!" declared Elsa. "Oh, that's perfect, Anna."

Anna smiled. "Thanks," she said.

Elsa frowned. "But, uh, EA?"

"Yeah, it stands for Elsa Aren-" Then she realized what Elsa was getting at. "Ah, cr-shit, you're right, it should've been ES."

Elsa chuckled. "It's fine. I'm sure Elsa Arendelle would love to spend forever and a day together with you, too."

Anna laughed. "Well, that's good to know."

Elsa rewound the conversation in her head. "Did you just un-censor yourself?" she asked, amused.

Anna giggled. "I guess," she said.

"That's adorable," Elsa said, mussing her hair. Anna blushed, only looking cuter for it.

That one part of her mind nagged her again, but she ignored it. The sight of her sister not just happy, but beaming, warmed her heart. She doubted Anna was truly over Hans yet, but she knew that she'd made a lot of progress today. Soon enough, she'd have to process the emotions that had stirred in her today, but that could wait.

Anna's happy again. That's worth any amount of consternation on my part.


	10. Chapter 10: Against a wall

**Chapter ten**

**Against a wall**

The teacher was droning on about something, as she was wont to do.

From the context clues Anna picked up in the brief moments where she snapped herself back to attention, she appeared to be talking about the cosine and tangent, with chalkboard drawings to match. However, as soon as Anna verified that she already knew everything the teacher was talking about, her mind went back to Angel Island.

She couldn't remember the last time she'd had that much fun at the park. Even her trip with Hans hadn't been as enjoyable, even in the moment. She'd never felt as much adrenaline on those rides as when she was hand on hand with Elsa. Even the teacups were more of a hilarious memory than a painful one. It'd been nonstop fun, start to finish…

xxxxxxx

Elsa walked her to her car, cradling her in her arm. "That was a good time, huh?" she said gently.

"You bet! Anna said. "We have to do this again sometime soon."

"Yeah," Elsa said. "Once I've had time to recover from this trip."

Anna sucked her teeth. "Ooh, yeah," she said, regarding Elsa's burnt skin. "Does that hurt?"

Elsa smiled. "Not much," she said. "I meant recover mentally. It's been…quite a rush."

Anna thought about the Ferris wheel. "You can say that again," she said dreamily.

An awkward silence followed. It occurred to Anna that she might have been talking about Thunderstruck instead.

"So, uh, when can I expect to see you again?" she said.

Elsa frowned thoughtfully. "Hmm, well, I'm busy all week with study groups. I'm sure you've got plenty of studying to do, too."

"I guess," Anna said, though in truth, she felt very confident about most of her exams already.

"But, this Friday," Elsa continued, "I could stop by the house, grab the car, and pick you up after school."

"Sure!" Anna said. "What do you want to do?"

"Well, it's supposed to be crazy hot that day," Elsa said. "So how about we go grab some ice cream?"

"I'd love that!" Anna declared, a small hop punctuating the sentence.

Elsa giggled, then attempted to hide it. "A-And hey," she said. "Now that you know the ropes of dating, maybe you could ask someone out yourself."

"Oh yeah, I could," Anna said. "I hadn't even thought of that."

Elsa smirked. "Well, that was kinda half of the reason we started doing this in the first place."

"Yeah, yeah," Anna said good-naturedly. "I was just focused on the other half, that's all."

Elsa nodded. "Me too," she admitted. "But now's your chance to share the genius lessons I've taught you with some lucky guy or girl."

Anna laughed. "Girl," she said. "Definitely girl."

Elsa clasped a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, good to hear it! You did your homework, then?"

Anna nodded. "Right after I got back from the movie." She blushed. "And a few more times on Saturday."

Elsa laughed. "Nothing wrong with that," she said. "So yeah, now that you know what you like, you can go out and get some for yourself!"

Anna smiled. "I'll do my best," she said modestly.

"You'll do great," Elsa assured her. "There isn't a girl on the planet who wouldn't be lucky to have you."

Anna beamed from the excessive praise. "Well, I'm no Elsa Schneider, that's for sure," she countered. "But you're right, I am pretty amazing."

"Damn straight," Elsa said. She gave Anna a departing hug, which Anna returned gingerly, accounting for Elsa's burnt skin, and they went their separate ways.

It was a happy, carefree Anna that hopped into her car. She was physically exhausted, but her spirits had never been higher.

I'll look for someone to date, she thought. But I don't know if I'll be able to stop thinking about you long enough to try it.

xxxxxxx

Anna frowned. Now that she thought about it, that was kind of a weird thought to have, wasn't it? I might not be able to find a date because I'll be thinking about my sister? She started thinking critically about these thoughts, as her pencil drifted idly across her notepad

True, she was thinking about Elsa a lot, but that was hardly unusual. She thought about Elsa all the time. It was hard not to – she was funny, cool, athletic, beautiful, and so much more. But it was never romantic, right?

It was the lack of experience that was the problem, really. Like Elsa said, she'd never had a good boyfriend or girlfriend before, so she didn't know what that felt like. But you could turn that around just as easily – she didn't have any other siblings, either.

Damn it, this was exactly what Punz warned me about – her emotions clouding her judgement. Elsa helped me out by being a fake girlfriend. Now that's done, and I just need a real girlfriend. Plain and simple.

She lifted her pencil, and took a look at what she had been drawing.

EA + AA

4EVE-

Argh!

She turned over to the next page and forced herself to drop the pencil.

Okay, so it's clearly not that simple. But that's on me. I'm the confused one – Elsa made her intentions clear from the start. But I can fix that. As soon as I find a real girlfriend, this will all be fixed. For now, though…

She turned back to the previous page, erased one of the letters, and wrote a new one in its place.

ES+AA

That's a start.

xxxxxxx

The bell rang, and she and the rest of the class filed out the door. Anna headed for her locker, purpose established, until a familiar voice called out to her above the clamor of the crowd.

"Yo, Anna!" Eugene called, waving an arm. Anna worked her way over to him, and they walked together.

"Hey, Eugene!" Anna responded jovially. "What's up?"

"Not much with me," he said. "How'd your smoking hot date go?"

Anna burst out laughing. "It went great, thanks for asking."

"Yeah?" Eugene said. "This 'Elsa' chick seems like she's on the up and up?"

"Oh yeah," Anna said, nodding with mock sincerity. "In fact, I think I might even introduce her to my family soon."

Eugene chuckled. "Well, that's good to hear," he said. "So, you think you're playing for the other team, for sure?"

It took a couple seconds for Anna to figure out what he meant. "Oh, yeah. Definitely looking for girls."

"All right. Can't say I blame you," he said. "I mean, some guys are nice and all, but I know _I_ wouldn't fuck one."

Anna laughed again. It was always so liberating to talk to Eugene. It was as if the man had no stress or fears whatsoever.

The crowd was thinning now, and the two of them came to a fork in the hallway. "Well, I'd better get going," Eugene said. "Shang's gonna have my ass if I'm late for gym again."

"Oh no, not your ass!" Anna said, putting her hands to her face in mock horror.

Eugene laughed. "See you at lunch, Anna."

"See you!"

Anna went on her way, picking up the pace when she noticed the crowds around her thinning out. She hadn't thought she was being especially slow, but by the time she reached her locker, the halls were all but deserted. She deposited her books and grabbed the next set.

"There you are."

Anna froze. His voice rolled over her like a cascade of poisoned honey. "Go away, Hans," she said.

She turned around, books in hand, to see him standing there, arms stretched to either side of him. "What, already?" he said in insincere indignation. "After I go through all this trouble to track you down, you want to leave before hearing what I have to say?"

Trepidation once again rose within Anna, but this time it was drowned out by a rising anger. "The only thing I want to hear from you," she said, "is 'I'm sorry, and goodbye.'"

Hans sighed condescendingly. "Still on this, I see," he said. "I still don't see why I should apologize. You're the one who's being hysterical."

"Hys-" Anna said, before catching herself. Now her anger was growing stronger.

Standard Hans tactic. I'm angry, and he's calm. She forced herself to bite down her angry retort.

Damn it, he always does this. I know exactly what I want to say to him, but I never get the chance, because he always keeps me on the defensive!

Case in point, Hans stepped forward, holding out a conciliatory hand. Anna stepped back.

"So anyway," he continued, as if he hadn't just insulted her, "I heard that _The Moon Has Two Faces_ is gonna be in theaters next week."

Anna's blood ran cold. Oh god, he can't be serious.

He took another step forward and reached for her shoulder. She tried to twist away, but he grabbed it anyway. "I know you're gonna go see it," he said in a lower, more sultry voice. "But you shouldn't have to see it alone."

His grip wasn't tight, but it still felt like ice was running up her arm. She went stiff, and her brain started shifting into fight-or-flight mode.

The principal's office, a part of her mind said. Get to the principal's office. But the office was far away, and Hans was right here. Her back was against the wall.

She wished she were anywhere but here. She wanted to be with Elsa, or Punz, or Eugene, or-

Elsa.

An idea struck her, and it jolted her into action. She brushed away his arm, and quickly stepped to the side, away from Hans and the wall.

"_Thanks_ for the offer," Anna said, emphasizing the first word so hard as to make the sarcasm crystal clear. But I've already asked someone to go see it with me."

Hans arched an eyebrow. "Oh, really?" he said. "Just a week after blondie, you've already got another date? That's impressive. _Unreal_, some might say."

Anna shrugged. "Fine, don't believe me, then." She started to walk away calmly.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Hans said, darting in front of her. "That's it? You're not gonna put any more effort into it? Tell me this guy's name, what he's like, how he could totally kick my ass – any of that?"

"Oh, that last one's probably true," Anna said. "_She_ takes kickboxing lessons."

Hans was taken aback for a moment, but he recovered quickly. "Oh, that's how it is, huh?" he sneered. "You're a dyke now?"

The slur registered in Anna's brain, a verbal barb meant to case as much pain as possible. Had he used the word against Elsa, it would've infuriated her. But, having just discovered she was a lesbian a few days ago, it didn't hurt Anna nearly as much. She recognized it for what it was – a petty attempt to knock her off-kilter.

She shrugged. "Guess so."

The sneer was still on his face, but Anna could see in his eyes that he was getting upset that his insults weren't landing.

"So, anyway," Hans said, trying to regain the upper hand, "tell me about this girlfriend of yours. What's so much better about her than me?"

A thousand possible answers flitted through Anna's mind, but for some reason the Ferris wheel floated to the top of them.

"Well, for one thing," she said, "she tastes better than you."

"WHAT?" Hans said, jaw dropping.

Then, a moment later, he realized what she actually meant. "Oh, heh, you meant kissing," he said, attempting to regain his composure. "Not much I can do there. Girls taste better than guys."

Well, you could brush your teeth once in a while, for one thing, thought Anna. But instead of voicing this sentiment, she decided to capitalize on the moment.

"Right, kissing," she said. "On the…lips."

His face betrayed nothing, but she noticed his hands starting to clench and unclench, like they always did when he got angry. He noticed she was looking at them, and stopped.

"Okay, sure," he said. "But that's not enough of a reason."

Since when do you get to decide what's enough of a –

Again, she stopped herself. He's angrier than me right now, let's keep it that way.

"Well, for another thing," she said, "she doesn't feel the need to pick at my flaws and imperfections in order to make me feel insecure."

"Oh, Anna, you've got it all wrong," Hans said. "I like you even with your imperfections. Your freckles aren't enough to-"

"Well she _loves_ my freckles," Anna interrupted. "All of them." She smiled wickedly. "Even the ones you never got to see."

"Ha ha ha," Hans said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "You almost had me for a moment, but now I know you're making this up. Ha ha ha." Clench, unclench.

Anna didn't feel the need to respond, instead letting her lingering smile speak for itself.

Strictly speaking, he was absolutely correct. Elsa was her fake girlfriend. But at the same time, Anna hadn't yet lied, just implied. Thus, she couldn't really get mad at his accusations.

"So, does this chick have a name?" Hans asked. "Or should I give you some time to make one up.

Anna snorted. "I'm not stupid, Hans. I'm not telling you her name." He opened his mouth for a snarky retort, but she kept going. "But I'll give you a hint. If you want to know her initials, you can find them four feet up a tree in Angel Island, inside a poorly drawn heart. I'm sure you know the one."

Hans was apoplectic. His mouth opened and closed, in sync with his hands. Then he bared his teeth.

"That was _ours_," he snarled, in a voice that made Anna take a step back. But she gathered her courage and responded.

"Yes, it _was_ ours," she said defiantly. "Just like you _were_ my boyfriend. But I dumped you. So get over it."

Hans started at her, fuming. Anna had never seen him this bad. She turned her feet, preparing to run, but she didn't break eye contact.

Finally, Hans relented. "Fine," he said. "You want to act like a child? I'll be the grown-up and walk away. But this isn't over."

He pulled out his headphones from his pocket, presumably with the intention of putting them on and casually walking away. Unfortunately for him, they snagged on something else in his pocket, and he was stuck fumbling around with them. Eventually he gave up and just stormed off.

Anna let out a huge sigh of relief. She had been seconds away from bolting, but she'd held her ground. She also let out all the tremors she had been suppressing, shivering heavily. She turned around and headed for the principal's office, barely believing what had just happened.

She'd won. She'd _won_. She had told Hans how she felt, in no uncertain terms, and he backed off – for now, at least. She had been so afraid of this confrontation, but somehow she'd managed to pull it off. Thanks to Elsa's help, she had managed to-

Huh, Elsa. I really said Elsa was my girlfriend.

It was justified, of course. Her back was literally against the wall, and she couldn't think of anything else. And she had no fear of Hands figuring out the truth – she never told him about her sister, and even if she had, he wouldn't have been paying enough attention to her to remember. Still, she really hadn't been planning on telling anyone about it.

Whatever, it wasn't a big deal. Starting at lunch today, she'd be looking for a real girlfriend. And nobody could possibly be worse than who she was leaving behind.

And so Anna walked away with her head held high, and didn't look back.

Which is why she didn't see the glower Hans shot at her from the end of the hall.


	11. Chapter 11: My type

**Chapter eleven**

**My type**

"Hmm, how about her?" Rapunzel said, pointing across the cafeteria.

Anna looked at the girl she was pointing at. She was a redhead, decently tall, with laughing blue eyes.

She thought about it. "Maybe," she said.

Rapunzel raised an eyebrow. "We're looking for a definitive yes or no answer here, hon."

"Then, I guess, no," Anna said. "I don't really want to go for any redheads."

"Really?" Eugene said curiously. "Is that a self-esteem thing?"

Anna sighed. "I told you, Eugene," she said, "My hair isn't red, it's called strawberry blonde."

"I still think you're making that up," Eugene said, folding his arms. "Looks pretty red to me."

"Focus, people," Punz interrupted. She gestured towards the lunch line. "How about third from the back over there?"

Anna glanced over and saw a familiar shock of blonde hair. "Aurora? She's straight, I thought."

"That is not the purpose of this experiment," Punz reminded her.

"Right," Anna said. She looked at Aurora in what she hoped was a non-creepy way, and scratched her chin thoughtfully. "You know what? Yeah, I think she's pretty hot."

"All right," Punz said happily. "Girl likes blondes."

"Guess so," Anna said, continuing to look at Aurora. Hey hair was a little frazzled, but Anna didn't mind. It kind of looked like Elsa's did early in the morning.

Meanwhile, Punz was scanning the crowd. "Let's see, blondes blondes blondes…" She gestured at a point over Anna's shoulder. "How about that tall gal over there?" she said.

Anna looked and saw a tall, frizzy-haired girl eating a few tables down. "Ooh, yeah," Anna said. "Definitely."

"All right, that's a yes to tall girls." Punz turned to Eugene. "How about you?" she asked. "She look cute to you?"

Eugene folded his arms. "Not falling for that one, babe," he said.

Punz smiled. "Smart boy."

Yeah, tall is nice, Anna thought. When you're cuddling together, they can pat you on the head and snuggle you in right under their head. Just like Elsa does.

Anna frowned. Okay, it's kinda weird that you keep bringing up Elsa when you're trying to look for a girlfriend, isn't it?

She tried to ignore this thought again, but it was getting harder to ignore the point. The more times she had to remind herself that she wasn't supposed to be thinking about Elsa in a romantic way, the weirder it became. Confusion was one thing, but this was starting to feel like…the opposite of confusion.

Rapunzel, thankfully, interrupted her train of thought by holding out her phone in front of her. "All right, now that we've narrowed down your type, let's get down to the nitty gritty."

The search bar read "tall blonde women", and the screen was filled with just that.

"Is this really necessary right now, Punz?" Anna asked, smiling weakly.

"Sorry," she said, withdrawing her arm. "I'm just so excited for you. You're finally getting the chance to have a real, healthy relationship!"

Anna smiled. "Thanks, Punz."

"And the way you told off Hans this morning!" she exclaimed. "I'm so proud!"

Anna scratched the back of her head. "Yeah, it felt good."

"I gotta admit," she said, "I was totally wrong about Elsa's idea. Turns out, it worked great for you! I never should've doubted you for a second."

"Oh, you don't need to apologize for that," Anna said, meaning every word of it.

With that, the three of them went back to eating. Anna, however, found herself continuing to think about what constituted her "type".

Let's see, what traits would I like in an ideal girlfriend?

Well, a good listener is a must. Someone who always cares about what I have to say. Cuddling is nice, but not mandatory. And physically fit – hell yeah, fit girls are hot. Someone who's adventurous, not afraid to go outside their own comfort zone. And going back to physical traits, maybe it's being too picky to be thinking about eye color, but I like blue eyes – icy blue, the kind you can lose yourself in.

Just like you-know-who.

Anna sighed. She ran through each of her descriptors, one by one. They all fit Elsa perfectly.

Okay, that's not that big of a deal. There's tons of tall, fit girls with blonde hair and blue eyes. Like that girl from your…homework. She fit all those descriptions, and she didn't remind you of-

Hang on.

She excused herself from the table, then headed for the women's room. Once she was in a stall, door locked, she pulled out her phone. She remembered the name of the video easily - she'd gone back to it a couple of times on Saturday – and in just a few seconds it was playing again. She paused and looked at the girl's face.

Okay, yep.

The woman was older by a couple of years, and her hair was just plain blonde, not platinum blonde. Other than that, she looked distressingly similar to Elsa. Even now, now that she was deliberately paying attention to all the similarities, it was still arousing her. The fact that she'd just been shopping around, looking at girls that bore strong resemblances to her sister didn't help one bit.

How the hell did I not notice that before?

Well, not consciously, anyway…

She put a hand to her head. She didn't have to have taken a year of psychology class to realize the implications, but the fact that she had served only to imply more.

Ugh, what do I do now?

It was a question with double meanings. In the long run, she had no idea what to do going forward from here. In the short term…she was alone in a bathroom, unhelpfully aroused, with a sexy video already playing.

With a resigned sigh, she unpaused the video and prayed that nobody else would enter the bathroom.

xxxxxxx

Sure, Elsa, you don't have to put on more aloe this morning. I'm sure you'll be fine. Fucking idiot.

Delicately, Elsa slid two fingers across her ruby-red arm, feeling deep relief as the aloe vera worked its magic. Just enough of the midday sun was peeking through the curtains that she could see what she was doing in the darkened room. She shrugged off her bra strap for a moment to get her shoulder, then put it back into place and began the other arm.

She really hadn't thought she was _that_ susceptible to burning. Sure, she'd always been pale, but she never got sunburned when she was walking around campus all day. As she coated her left shoulder and moved to her collar, she noted, with amusement, the single pale strip of flesh on her shoulder against the ocean of red.

Still too pale, that's the problem. Even back in the day, when Anna was playing in the backyard and earning those freckles, I was always in the house, playing computer games. I should've been out there with Anna. Should've done a lot with Anna. Should've been together more…

Elsa caught herself. Her hand, which had coated the red patch on her collarbone, had started moving down to a place where she knew for a fact there was no sunburn. She yanked her arm away.

What do you think you're doing there? Groping yourself while thinking about Anna? Or can I just say it was Elsa Schneider that just groped me, and that'll absolve me of any guilt?

She grabbed more aloe and moved on to her legs – _lower_ legs, thank you very much – and tried to banish those thoughts from her mind. Of course, it didn't fucking work. Now that the idea was in her head, she couldn't stop thinking about Anna.

Dammit, this week was supposed to be a reset button. Some time apart, to clear her head and remind herself of a few seemingly common sense things. And a chance to find another girl she liked, who wasn't a blood relative of hers. That's what Anna was probably doing right this instant, in fact.

I should call Esme up, we haven't seen each other in a while. In fact, I probably should've done that weeks ago.

As she swapped to her other leg, a thought occurred to her.

Why Anna, why now? All the girls I've dated so far have been brunettes. But even when I went to the gym this morning, I was checking out the redheads. So what the fuck's going on? Did I bump my head and flip the incest switch in my brain or something?

Legs done, she now moved up to her waist, attending to the burned strip around her waistline. She tried to calm herself, think of other explanations.

Maybe I've got this whole thing backwards. Maybe I just like redheads now, and that just so happens to include my sis. I've never _not_ liked redheads. They are pretty cute, with their freckles, their sea-green eyes, cute little nose…

And now her fingers were heading south once again.

Elsa gasped as her fingers entered her. The aloe was cold. But soft…so soft…

She withdrew her hand, and tried to convince herself to stop screwing around and get dressed. But she hadn't done this in a while, either. And she was curious as to how it would go with the aloe.

She sighed and applied more lotion to her right hand. Her left hand reached for her phone, but she decided against it. Her mental images were enough.

Okay, let's go again. Redheads that aren't my sister.

She leaned back and laid down on the bed. One hand pushed her bra aside, whole the other reentered herself. Her well-lubricated fingers moved quickly to her most sensitive zone, and thrust back and forth.

She thought about Amber Heard, her red hair cascading down bare shoulders atop a glistening, wet body. She saw her standing in the room, striding to the bed, straddling Elsa's body. Elsa arched her back, and her fingers speed up. She flexed her toes, relishing the cracking noise they made.

She blinked, and the figure changed. Her curvaceous body was now slimmer, her fiery hair faded, and it now hung in dual plaits-

_Not her! _Elsa's mind said. But her body disagreed.

Her pleasure started to climb, and she could do nothing but continue. She slipped in a third finger, and the pleasure mounted even faster. Meanwhile, her vision of her sister leaned forward, crawling towards her.

_Hey, sis. I did my homework. Wanna see what I learned?_

Her climax was short and sweet. An intense burst of ecstasy, and just as sudden of a decline. Elsa say up and looked around the room. Still empty, still dark. The only signs of what had just happened were three fingers that were slightly wetter than they had already been, and the fast encroaching sense of shame that always followed, albeit with much more obvious of a cause.

Elsa sighed. "Okay," she said. "This is a problem."


	12. Chapter 12: Four options

**Chapter twelve**

**Four options**

"So all of this was over the course of the past week?" the psychiatrist asked.

"Basically, yeah," Elsa said.

He scribbled a few more notes into his pad, even though she had given him no new information. She took the lapse in conversation as an opportunity to compose her thoughts.

The room was decorated in a very non-aggressive style. Taupe wallpaper, a couple of fake potted plants, and a few pictures of serene waterfalls. Even compared to the nonthreatening décor of the rest of the school hospital, it felt overdone. The psychiatrist was similarly nonthreatening, an elderly man with large round glasses.

"I see," he said after some time. "And you've never had any thoughts of this nature before this week?"

Elsa sat up straight. "Well, I didn't think I did," she said, pulling out her phone. She tapped the screen and pulled up her cousin Evan's Facebook feed. "Until I found this."

The doc pushed up his glasses and looked at her screen. Elsa tapped the screen and turned the phone sideways.

Onscreen, an image of Elsa and Anna had appeared, about a year younger. Elsa was clutching a half-empty glass in the hand she had draped around Anna's shoulder, and her cheeks were almost as red as those of the Elsa holding the phone. Elsa fast-forwarded to the relevant part.

"...And this girl," the virtual Elsa slurred, pointing for emphasis, "this fucking girl, I swear, she's the hottest fucking girl on the goddamn planet!"

Anna of the past laughed, a little embarrassed but not the least bit flustered.

"And she's gonna tell you she's not," Elsa continued, pointing at the camera. "Cuz she's all humble and shit. But don't believe her! She's fuckin' gorgeous!" She then attempted to drink from her glass, which resulted in her pulling Anna's face directly into her boobs. Someone, probably Evan, started snickering.

Elsa stopped the video. "I think you get the idea," she said.

The doc nodded. "Seems innocent enough," he said. "On its own, at least."

"On its own," agreed Elsa. "But convinced with all the stuff I've been telling you about…"

"Yes, I agree," the doc said. "How long ago was this?"

"About a year," Elsa said. "Last fourth of July."

"And you remembered it all this time later?" the doctor said, impressed.

"Well, no," Elsa admitted. "Anna mentioned it when we were at Angel Island. She was kinda coy about it, though."

The psychiatrist stroked his chin. "Interesting," he said.

He wrote a few more notes down. "So, forgive me, I'm a little confused about a certain point you mentioned," he continued. "Which of you initiated the kiss on the Ferris Wheel?"

"Anna did, technically," Elsa said. "I made my intentions clear, but she kissed me first. It still only happened because of me."

"And she also initiated the first kiss, outside of the theater?" the doc asked, checking his notes to confirm.

"Hold on, isn't this supposed to be about be, not my sister?" Elsa asked, getting confused.

"Yes, of course," he said, waving his hand dismissively. "So, when did you first begin to suspect your motives were non-platonic?"

Elsa thought about it. "After the first date," she said. "When we were cuddling on the couch."

"I see, I see," the doc said. "And do you think your sister suspects the same thing?"

"I don't think so," Elsa said. "She's too innocent, bless her heart."

The doc raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

Elsa leaned back. "So, give it to me straight, doctor P. On a scale of one to ten, how fucked up am I?"

He chuckled. "Please, miss Elsa, don't think of it like that. In truth, you're one of the saner students I've dealt with."

"Really?" Elsa said disbelievingly.

"You are at a key developmental age," he said. "This is the age at which everyone makes discoveries about themselves that they never could've expected. Not just sexuality, but beliefs, morals – even their very identity."

"But…incest?" Elsa said. The very word sounded caustic to her ears once spoken aloud, a monument to its own ill meaning.

"That one is uncommon," the doctor admitted. "But not unheard of, and not as rare as you might think. Two siblings, when separated for lengthy periods of time, will sometimes develop romantic feelings for one another. Occasionally, this can even happen between parent and child."

Elsa was taken aback. "Eww," she said, making a face.

The doctor nodded. "As I said, uncommon. But not unheard of," he said. Again, he scribbled on his notepad.

"So, how do you deal with that?" Elsa asked. "Is there, like, a drug or something you can take?"

He looked over his glasses at her. "There is no drug or treatment that can change a person's sexual preferences," he said, a hint of sternness in his voice. "None approved by the FDA, anyway. If you're looking for one of those, try a Catholic conversion camp."

Elsa nodded. "I get your point," she said, her body language indicating that this was the last thing she would ever consider trying.

"I respect your courage for coming here and speaking to me about this," he continued. "Incest is a criminally understudied condition – outside of clearly nonconsensual cases, such as father-daughter cases and the like."

Elsa made another face.

"As things stand now, there are three possible ways that I see you could progress from here. Three possibilities – none of which are perfect, but all have at least a chance of working out well for you and your sister."

Elsa looked at him. "Okay," she said. "Let's hear them."

"Option one: suppression. You refuse to act on any of your sexual desires for your sister. Sexual preferences tend to change over time – you yourself told me that you once liked brunettes a great deal more. If luck is on your side, your desires will shift again, towards other women, and this will simply be a phase, with your sister none the wiser."

Elsa raised an eyebrow. "Just keep it bottled up?" she said. "That's your advice?"

"It is simply one option," the doctor said. "If I were a therapist, it would be harder for me to recommend this course of action to you. As a psychiatrist, however, I am in a position to prescribe you medication to help."

"Hang on," Elsa said. "You said-"

"Not to change your preferences," he clarified. "There are certain drugs, known as SSRIs, whose main function is as an antidepressant; however, they have a side effect of reducing sexual drive."

Elsa blinked. "Well, I don't want that," she said quickly.

The doc chortled. "No, I suspected not. Few your age would. But if you do decide to go the route of suppression, I would advise against doing it unmedicated. For your own peace of mind."

Elsa still felt leery of the idea, but she nodded. "Okay. Second option?"

"The second option is isolation. Separate yourself from your sister until such time that your desires fade or change." He lowered his pad and looked at her. "I would consider this only as a method of last resort. It can lead to far worse emotional side-effects, such as feelings of abandonment and resentment."

Elsa shuddered. She had considered this option herself, late last night, but the idea of leaving Anna alone like that was just too awful to bear. "I agree," she said. "She needs me there. Besides, didn't you say isolation was the cause of this whole thing to begin with?"

"It was one possible factor," he said.

"Right, well, just scratch that option off, too," Elsa said.

"Very well." The doctor pushed his glasses up again. "The third option is group therapy. You and your sister visit a psychiatrist or therapist together, discuss how you feel about one another, and determine the best course of action going for-"

Elsa sat bolt upright. "Are you NUTS?" she exclaimed. The doctor was taken aback by her vehemence. "You want me to tell my sister I have the hots for her, and then invite her to talk about it, with me, to a complete stranger?"

"Please, calm yourself, miss Elsa," the doctor said quietly. Elsa leaned back, still visibly shaken. "It would be very awkward, I know," he said, "but having an open and honest dialogue is the course of action most likely to end positively for everyone."

Elsa folded her arms. Of course, the psychiatrist's solution was more therapy.

"Not to mention," he continued, "it would clarify the greatest variable in this equation, which is the reciprocity your sister feels."

Elsa frowned confusedly. "Recip…I'm not an English major, doc. Use small words."

The doctor sighed. "How much of this feeling is mutual," he explained.

Elsa's eyes widened. "Hold on, doc, are you saying-"

"I can say nothing conclusively until I met her in person," the psychiatrist said. "An idea which you seem heftily opposed to, so it likely will not happen. However, from my perspective, she is in a similar position to you – isolated from you for long periods of time, and at a key developmental phase in her life. Nothing you have said has ruled out such a possibility, nor confirmed it. You know your own sister better than I do, so I shall leave it to you to discover the extent of her affection for you, platonic or otherwise. But you certainly should try to ascertain this, for the best course of action going forward will depend strongly on that."

Well, gee, doc, when you put it like that, it sounds so easy. I'll just ask, Say, Anna, do you want to fuck me as badly as I want to fuck you? And we'll see where the conversation goes from there.

She put a hand to her head. "Fuck, this is all my fault," she said. "I just wanted to help her find a date, and now I might've fucked her up too."

The doctor put a sympathetic hand on hers. "You are not to blame," he said. "Anna is a consenting adult, just as you are. The age of consent implies the mental fortitude to choose the proper mate for yourself."

"Well, yeah, in theory," Elsa said. "In practice…"

The doctor chortled. "In practice, miss Elsa, some people never acquire such fortitude."

Eventually, she nodded. "So, those are my three options," she said. "I hate all of them."

The doctor nodded. "It's not an easy choice to make," he said sympathetically. "But you will have to choose something."

Elsa looked him in the eyes. "And those are the only options I have?" she said, the skepticism in her voice apparent.

He stared right back at her. "The only ones I can recommend," he said flatly.

She told herself not to press the matter any further, that she didn't want to know the answer to the question she was about to ask. But…if she didn't ask him now…

"This may be a stupid question," she said. "But if these feelings are…reciprocal…wouldn't the best solution be…one you haven't suggested?"

From his reaction, she could tell he knew exactly what she meant. "Tell me, miss Arendelle, have you ever had a bad breakup?"

She swallowed. "One or two," she said.

"Then you know the risks inherent in any relationship. Young relationships are fickle, prone to misinterpretations, misunderstandings, and fights. If things don't work out, you may still be friends afterwards, or you may not. I doubt you want to throw the dice on this particular friendship."

She cringed. "No," she said quietly. "I don't."

"That being said, I am a psychiatrist, not a hypnotist. I can't force you to do anything, only give you counsel." He adjusted his glasses. "You at least seem more receptive to my advice than most who have come to see me, I must say."

"So, doctor," she said. "You've given me…a number of options. Which one would you recommend the most?"

He straightened himself, his body language suggesting than the session was nearly over. "Well, I'd recommend the third option, myself, but if you are still leery of that…" He grabbed a prescription page from his desk and scribbled on it, then handed it to her. It was a nearly illegible scrawl, with only the signature _Dr. G Pabolo_ legible to Elsa's eyes.

"This is a prescription for one month's supply of an SSRI," he said. Seeing her open her mouth again, he raised a hand. "You don't have to take it. You don't even need to redeem this right away. But if you find your emotions getting out of control, and you fear you might do something you'll regret, then consider this prescription as a safety net."

Elsa nodded. "I will." She got to her feet. "Thank you very much, doctor Pabolo," she said, shaking his hand. "You've been a big help."

"You're very welcome," the doctor said. "If you're ever unsure about what to do next, come and see me again."

Heh, she thought as she walked out the door. If I did that, doc, I'd never leave.

Walking down the hall, away from his office, Elsa mulled over her options. The fact that her possible actions had been laid out and numbered in no way made them easier to choose from.

Just hide my feeling forever, taking drugs every time I get horny? No thanks.

Lock myself away, and hope this affection just blows over? Not gonna happen.

Sit myself and Anna down in front of a shrink and talk about our potentially mutual unholy desire for one another? I don't fucking think so.

Which left only…the fourth option. The one she hadn't even wanted to consider, that would depend entirely on whether or not she'd already fucked things up with Anna.

A line drifted into her mind, from one of those Sherlock TV shows.

_"Once you've eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth."_

"Fuck off, Sherlock," she muttered to herself. "I bet if you wanted to fuck Mycroft, you wouldn't be able to think so clearly!"


	13. Chapter 13: Hero

**Chapter thirteen**

**Hero**

"Ugh, boring day!" Anna moaned, walking through the crowded hallway towards the front of the school. "Boring week! Why can't the teachers do something fun for reviews instead of just doing the same lecture over again, just faster?"

"Well, come on," Rapunzel said, pushing her way through the crowds beside her. "They can't all do that class Jeopardy game."

"Yeah they could," Eugene said. "They absolutely could."

The three of them made it out the front door together, squinting against the bright afternoon sun. The school buses were arrayed ahead of them, steadily taking on the hordes of students.

"Ugh, so hot again," Punz said. "Elsa had better not keep you waiting here for long."

"She won't, don't worry," Anna said. "And if she does, I'll just make her buy me more ice cream."

Eugene laughed. "That's what I call a good solution," he said.

Anna scanned through the crowds, looking for any sign of her sister. Instead, she saw one of the three people she had hoped to not see.

"Oh boy," she said, nudging her friends. "Here comes trouble."

One of Hans's cronies was standing in the middle of the crowd, looking directly at her. He wore a sickly grin, and he nodded threateningly at her.

"Of course he's going to make a scene today," Anna said, looking around in the crowd for Hans. "The one day I can't just get on the bus and leave." She scanned the lot for her sister, but the familiar car was nowhere in sight.

Rapunzel touched her arm. "We can stick around until Elsa shows up, if you want."

Anna waved her hand. "Thanks, but no," she said. "I just don't want to deal with this, not right now. And I especially don't want to drag you two into it."

"Oh, we're in it," Eugene said. "We're with you on this."

"Thanks," Anna said warmly.

An idea came to her. "I know," she said. "I'll just text Elsa and tell her to meet me around the back of the school. He won't be able to get to me there without missing _his_ bus." She looked at each of her friends in turn. "Eugene, I need you to run interference. Block him, don't let him text Hans about where I'm headed. Punz, look out for Elsa. If you see her, let her know where I've gone. I'll text her too, just in case." With her plan finalized, she turned around and went upstream through the crowd.

"Anna, wait!" Rapunzel called. But she was already gone, engulfed by the throngs of students eager to start their weekend.

The crowd slowly faded to a trickle as Anna reentered the building, then made her way to the back exit. She checked over her shoulder several times, making sure that none of Hans's friends were following. All the same, she felt a sense of unease as she texted Elsa about her change of plans. As the silence of the empty hallways replaced the clamor of the crowd, she thought about turning back around, but decided against it. Soon it'd be just as empty out front as it was back here, and she'd only end up inconveniencing her friends and Elsa more.

The rear exit of the school was a stark contrast to the front. Instead of a massive expanse of blacktop with lines of school buses, there was simply a modest parking lot, with a simple entrance and exit. Anna had always preferred this entrance to the front, even if it meant waiting a few extra minutes while whoever was picking her up made their way around there. She leaned against the wall, pulled out her phone, and waited for her sister to arrive.

"Fancy meeting you here."

Ice slipped down the back of Anna's spine. She whirled around and, sure enough, there he was, standing between her and the door back into the school. Her phone buzzed in her hand, no doubt with a warning just seconds too late.

"Go away, Hans," she said.

He shook his head. "You've been dodging me all week," he said. "But we're not finished talking."

He tried to touch her shoulder, but she shoved him away. Caught off guard, he stumbled backwards. Anger flashed in his eyes, but he managed to compose himself.

"There's nothing to talk about," Anna said, trying to sound braver than she felt. "We're done. _Done._ Now you'd better leave before…before my girlfriend shows up and kicks your ass!"

He laughed. "Still going on about that?" He started advancing on her again. "Look, I get it. You're mad at me, you want to lash out. But if we just talk this out, I'm sure we can move past that."

She tried to shove him away again, but he was prepared this time, and kept his balance. Anna pulled her hands back, yanking then away before he could grab them. She started backing away, making sure not to get cornered again, but he was faster than her, and soon he was reaching out again.

"Get the fuck away from her!"

Hans spun around. Elsa had just emerged from the school, murder in her eyes. Rapunzel was right behind her, looking relieved.

"Elsa!" Anna said, a wave of relief washing over her.

Hans looked surprised, but only for a moment. "Well, well, fake girlfriend isn't so fake after all," he said to Anna. Turning around, he addressed Elsa, palms open to her in an amicable gesture.

"Look, miss – Elsa, was it? I don't know what Anna's been telling you, but she and I are still together. We're going through a rough patch right now, but we're going to work things out. I'm sorry if she led you on, it's partially my fault as well for not reaching out to her sooner, but-"

"I know you."

Elsa's interruption was quiet and low. Like the first few rocks tumbling down a mountain.

Hans blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"I've met your kind before. You're a spoiled brat. Someone who sees something they like and decides it's their goddamn birthright to have it. You don't even care that you broke her heart. All you care about is getting her back, like she's a trophy for you to win."

Hans frowned. "Now wait just a second," he began. "Maybe I care more than you-" Elsa cut him off with a glare.

"Well, guess what? Anna can do better than you, and she has. She chose me, and I chose her. You want her back? You can't have her. She's _mine_."

She advanced on Hans threateningly. He took a step back, almost involuntarily. Anna took the chance to run around him to Elsa's side, and she clutched her arm.

Hans seemed flustered. He clearly didn't want to back down, but it seemed he was sorely missing his two more muscular friends to back him up. It seemed his anger was going to win out over his cowardice, though.

"I am going to give you one chance," Elsa said. "Just one. Mostly because I'm sure you're too much of a dumb shit to take it. Walk away now, and_ never_ talk to my girlfriend ever again."

"Y-yeah?" Hans said, drawing himself up. "Or what?"

Elsa smiled cruelly. "Or else I'll destroy the one thing you_ actually_ care about."

Hans managed a laugh. "Ooh, big threat," he said, throwing up his arms in mock terror. "What, did you hear that in an anime or some-"

Elsa kicked.

Hans stopped mid-sentence. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out, and his eyes began to water. His knees buckled, and he crumpled, his hands going to his crotch.

As he went down, Elsa's knee came up. It collided squarely with his right cheekbone, altering his trajectory and sending him sideways. His head hit the grass hard.

Elsa stood over him. "Now, I don't ever want to hear that you hurt Anna ever again. Don't look at her, don't touch her, don't talk to her, don't have anything to do with her. Understand? Or I'll be back."

She turned to look at Anna, who was standing stock still, shaking. "Are you okay, Anna?" Elsa asked urgently. "Did he touch you? Did he-"

Anna ran to her and wrapped her arms around her, burying her head against Elsa's chest. Elsa hugged her back, as tightly as she could, and stroked her hair. "It's okay, it's okay," she said, whispering soothingly in her ear. "I'm here. He can't hurt you anymore. I'm here."

"I'm…I'm sorry," Anna sobbed against Elsa's chest. Elsa felt her shirt dampening.

"Sorry?" Elsa said, confused.

"I should have just waited for you out front. It was stupid to come back here. It's my fault he-"

Elsa squeezed her tighter, giving her the signal to stop. "None of this is your fault," she said, whispering into Anna's ear. "He's the only stupid one here."

She gestured to Hans, still lying on the ground. He had started crying, too, an inelegant blubbering as he curled himself into the fetal position.

Elsa regarded him with distaste. "Come on," she said, addressing Anna and Rapunzel. "Let's get the hell out of here."

Anna dried her eyes, sniffled, and nodded. The three girls began to walk away.

"Wait!" Hans cried out.

They all whirled around to face him, Elsa stretching out a protective arm in front of Anna.

"W…wait," he repeated weakly. He sniveled, making no attempt to stand and keeping perfectly still. "Anna," he managed, looking at her. "Are you h-happy with her?"

Anna nodded immediately.

Hans sniffed again. "F-fine," he said, sounding less spiteful and more defeated. "I just w-wish you c-could've been happy with m-me."

Elsa put her fists on her hips, unmoved by his pathetic attempt at an apology.

Hans turned to her next. "Elsa," he said, staring fearfully up at her. "Y-you won't…break her h-heart?"

Elsa was surprised by the question, but she shook her head quickly. "No," she said. "Never."

Again Hans sniffed, a strand of mucus dribbling from his nose. "G-good," he said. "If you do, I'll…I'll…I'll k-k-kick your f-fucking teeth in."

He curled up quickly, expecting a swift reprisal, but Elsa just stared at him, dumbfounded.

Rapunzel stepped forward. "You'll…How fucking dare you!" she said, glowering.

Elsa stopped her. "It's okay," she said. "He's done."

Indeed, he was. Curled into a ball, trying to wipe away his tears and snot while still bawling, Hans was the image of a broken man.

Elsa looked down at Anna. "I don't know about you," she said, "but I could really go for some ice cream right now."

Anna looked at her through teary eyes and nodded, managing a smile.

Elsa extended a hand to Rapunzel. "How about you, Punzie?" she asked. "You up for some?"

She shook her head. "Thanks but no thanks, Elsa," she said. "I think you two could use some time alone together."

Elsa nodded gratefully. "Thanks, Punzie," she said, tousling the younger girl's hair before wrapping that arm back around her sister. "You'd better scamper for the bus, then."

"Ah, shit, you're right," Rapunzel said. "Anna, are you good?"

Anna looked at her, then looked back up at Elsa, in whose arms she was happily nested. She smiled.

"Yeah," she said. "I'm good."


	14. Chapter 14: I got a feelin'

**Chapter fourteen**

**I got a feelin'**

Chocolate ice cream. Chocolate syrup. Chocolate chips. Chocolate everything.

By the time Anna made the way back to the table with her sister, her bowl was full to the brim. Elsa's eyebrows arched as she regarded her sister's selection, comparing it to her own relatively modest two scoops of orange sherbet.

"Geez, Anna. You got a hollow leg or something?" she remarked.

Anna looked puzzled. "No…?"

Elsa discarded the metaphor. "I mean, where are you gonna put all that?"

Anna laughed. "Oh, heh. I guess I'll just run it off later."

Elsa marveled at her sister, regarding her perpetually slim figure. "Yeah, I guess it will be that easy for you," she said, pinching a bit of flab around her midsection forlornly.

"Ah, come on, Elsa," Anna said. "I may be skinnier, but my muscles ain't got nothing on yours!" She felt Elsa's bicep approvingly.

Elsa chuckled. "Well, nice to see that not all of my freshman 15 went to my waistline," she said. She flexed her arm, and Anna marveled at the feeling of all that muscle beneath her grip.

"You're a freaking superhuman, Elsa," Anna said. The overt praise was starting to make Elsa blush. "Just look at how fast Hans…"

She trailed off, and her face fell. Elsa, clearly upset that the conversation had turned back to him, reached out and touched her on the shoulder.

"Hey," she said. "Forget about him. Forget everything about him. You're never gonna see him again, I promise you that."

"I know," Anna said, managing a grateful smile. Still, a morose note hung in the air. Anna cursed herself for bringing the conversation back to him.

They fell silent and dug into their ice cream, letting the general noise or the other patrons and the country music playing on the store's speakers serve as a buffer for their conversation.

"So, Anna," Elsa said, pointing her spoon at her sister. "I've been doing some thinking, and…I think I should be around more."

Anna smiled. "I'd like that," she said. "Your exams will be done soon, right?"

Elsa shook her head. "Not soon enough," she said. "They'll all be wrapped up about three weeks from now. But before then, for next week…I think I can make it down here every other day."

"Really?" Anna said incredulously. "Will you even have time to study if you do that?"

"I can study down here just as easily as I can up there," Elsa said dismissively. "Besides, wasn't there a movie you wanted to see with me?"

Anna brightened. "Oh yeah!" she said. "_The Moon Has Two Faces! _I was looking forward to that! You want to see it with me?"

Elsa gave her a warm smile. "Of course I do." She took Anna's hands in her own. "I want to do everything with you."

Anna beamed. She began to tear up, and wished there were no table between them so they could hug. Elsa sensed this, and came around to her side, and they embraced momentarily. They broke off quickly, sensing the risk of melting ice cream.

As she ate, Anna noticed that something seemed to be occupying her sister's mind. She wasn't sure what, but she felt compelled to find out.

"Hey, Elsa," she said, swallowing another spoonful. "Is something up?"

Elsa glanced at her. "What do you mean?"

"You look like you have something to say, is all," Anna said cautiously.

Elsa waved her hand. "Oh, it's nothing," she said dismissively.

Anna smiled at her knowingly. "It's never nothing, Elsa. You know that."

Elsa continued to deflect. "It's no big deal, really," she insisted. "Not my business talking about it."

Anna smiled. From those comments, meant to be deflective, she had a pretty good guess as to what the question was.

"Yes, I told him you were my girlfriend," she said. From Elsa's reaction, she knew she'd hit the nail on the head. "I was cornered, kind of out of options, so I told him I was already dating someone else."

Elsa nodded. "That's what I figured," she said.

"Technically, I didn't_ say_ we were dating," she continued. "I just implied it."

"It's fine, it's fine," Elsa said. "I don't give a shit what he thinks, anyway."

"Good," Anna said.

But, to her surprise, Elsa wasn't quite finished. "While we're on the subject," she continued, cheeks starting to blush slightly, "I've been meaning to ask this, but I haven't got the chance. Have you figured out who you do want to date?"

"Huh?" Anna said, blushing herself.

Elsa quickly started to backpedal. "It's fine if you haven't. You have your whole life to figure that out."

"No, no," Anna said quickly. "I think I know. I did my homework. I like girls."

"Ah, okay," Elsa said, smiling. "That's great!"

"Yeah," Anna said. "Glad I figured it out. You were a big help there."

She sensed the next question coming, and hoped that Elsa wouldn't say it.

"So, do you know what your type is?" she asked.

"Uh, type?" Anna said, playing dumb. "What's that mean?"

She absolutely knew what it meant, but she wanted to stay for time, to come up with a better answer than 'you'.

"Well, a type just means a specific set of traits you're attracted to," Elsa said patiently. "Hair color, eye color, tall or short – anything that you'd look for in an ideal-"

"Taylor Swift," Anna blurted out.

Elsa blinked. "Oh," she said, her train of thought screeching to a halt. She chuckled, and so did Anna. "Well, that simplifies things," she said with a smile. "I think I still have her phone number, but I don't know if she'll pick up after that weekend in Monte Carlo."

Anna laughed. The joke relieved some of the tension that had been building. Still, she was a little concerned at the direction her questions had taken.

Gee, Elsa's being pretty direct with this line of questioning, isn't she? Almost like she suspects something's up with you.

She still hadn't managed to figure out what to do about her burgeoning feelings for Elsa. Further experimentation had served only to confirm that, yes, she was specifically attracted to Elsa, not just girls with blonde hair and blue eyes.

Punzie's warning still rang loudly in her head, that all of this was just her being confused. But she felt less and less confused the more she thought about it. Nobody else she had looked at seemed nearly as attractive as her big sister.

Realizing she had been silent for quite some time now, she returned to the conversation. "You said you like brunettes, right? So just send all the cute blondes you know in my direction," she said, trying to be nonchalant.

Elsa chuckled. "Can do, sis. Although, actually, I might not be into brunettes anymore. I think my tastes are changing."

Anna was surprised. "I didn't even know that was possible," she said. "What kind are you into now?"

Elsa looked concerned all of a sudden, as if she had said too much. "Uh, I guess…I'm not thinking about hair color anymore."

It seemed like a fishy answer, but Anna threw her a line. "Well, that's nice," she said. "Equal opportunity. So what are you looking for?"

"Oh, I guess I'm still figuring that out," she said.

It seemed like an unusually coy answer for Elsa. She'd never been shy about her own sexual preferences, especially since she had started helping Anna out. So why the reticence now?

Well, let's make a logical deduction. She isn't into brunettes anymore, and she still isn't into blondes. So what's left?

Now Elsa seemed flustered, and an awkward silence enveloped the two of them. It was soon broken, not by either of them, but by the next song on the radio, whose opening guitar notes were quite louder than the last song's. Billy Currington began to croon to the ice cream shop's patrons.

_I don't want to rush this thing,_

_I don't want to jump the gun_

"So, Elsa," Anna said, deciding to probe further. "Have you meet anyone new lately? Anyone that might be responsible for this shift in taste?"

The simple binary question only seemed to agitate her further. "Oh, uh, no, I don't think so," she stammered. "It just sort of happens over time, I think. You know?"

_I really want to say those three little words_

_But I'm gonna bite my tongue_

"Yeah, I guess," Anna said.

This didn't make any sense at all. If Elsa suspected Anna's intentions, why would she be the one getting flustered?

Maybe she had jumped to conclusions here. Surely, there was no way Elsa could suspect anything – they hadn't really seen each other this past week, anyway, so how could she know anything had changed between the two of them? She was just overanalyzing things.

_Yeah, I'm just gonna lay on back_

_Leave it on cruise control_

This realization replenished Anna's confidence, and she smiled warmly. "Well, that's good. That means I still have you all to myself!" she exclaimed.

But now, to add to the confusion, this declaration didn't seem to calm Elsa down at all. She only seemed more flustered, if anything. "Ehe, yeah, you do," she said. "Every other day, at least."

_I'm gonna hold it all inside_

_Til the right time comes down the road_

"Right, right." Anna decided to crack a joke, hoping that it would relieve the tension once again. "I'll just call up Elsa Schneider on those other days, then. I'm sure we could find some way to fill the time."

Elsa tittered nervously. "Haha, yeah, you could," she said. She stood up quickly. "Excuse me for a second. Bathroom break."

"Uh, sure," Anna said, now very confused.

_I got a feelin'_

_My head's a reelin'_

_My heart is screamin'_

_I'm about to bust loose_

Anna scratched her head. What was eating Elsa?

She flipped her perspective, and tried to look at the situation from Elsa's point of view. She had been on the same dates Anna had. That kiss on the Ferris wheel was surely as vivid in her mind as Anna's. Maybe she was also getting confused, just like she herself was.

_Bottled up emotion_

_It's more than a notion_

_Starts with an "I"_

_And ends with a "you"_

No, that couldn't be. Elsa was way too experienced in the field of dating to let a silly little kiss cloud her head.

So if she wasn't confused, then maybe she was…

Anna's eyes widened.

_Hey, I got a feelin'_

_You're feeling it too_


	15. Chapter 15: What's eating you

**Chapter fifteen**

**What's eating you**

Well, that could've gone better.

Elsa walked across the campus quad, her mind still dwelling on that disastrous conversation in the ice cream shop. The bright, sunny skies did nothing to ease her raging anxiety.

It's quite an accomplishment, isn't it? To go into a conversation with the intent to figure out if your sister has the hots for you, and end up achieving the exact opposite?

Now, that wasn't necessarily true, she reminded herself. Anna hadn't broached the issue at any point in the weekend. They had hung out, yes, but if Anna suspected any non-platonic motives in her sister, she hadn't mentioned it. But she was smart – way smarter than Elsa, that was for sure. It was only a matter of time before she put two and two together.

Elsa tried her best to shove these anxious thoughts out of her mind. She was way too stressed. All of this uncertainty – on top of a looming exam she was ill prepared for – were taking their toll. She needed to unwind, and she knew exactly the person to help her do it.

"Excuse me! Elsa?"

A voice Elsa's train of thought, and she turned around. A man was jogging towards her, hand waving. "Yes?" she said, puzzled. "Can I help you?"

She sized him up as he drew near. He was tall, almost gangly, with a drop off short, well-groomed coppery hair, and…high cheekbones.

Oh no. Don't tell me…

He stuck his hand out. "Rolf Suthernile," he said. "Pleasure to meet you."

Elsa didn't accept the handshake. "Is it?" she said cautiously, preparing for his next move.

Rolf didn't seem to take offense. He withdrew his hand and scratched the back of his head self-consciously. "I don't blame you for being suspicious," he said. "I just want to apologize for my brother's behavior."

She remained on guard. "You do, do you?" she asked.

"Yes," he said. "What he did was way out of line – truly disgusting actions to you, and especially your girlfriend."

Elsa tried to avoid wincing at the repeated use of the g word. "Is this an apology on his behalf?" she asked. "A message he wanted to pass on?"

Rolf snorted. "Not at all," he said. "That little twerp doesn't have a gracious bone in his body."

Elsa blinked, surprised at the coarseness in his voice.

"But I can promise you this," he continued. "He'll never bother either of you two again. You'll never even see him."

"And…how do you know that?" Elsa asked.

Rolf shot her a wicked grin. "Well, me and the rest of my brothers, we found out what he did over the weekend. So we all got together and, well…" He chuckled. "We beat him like a Cherokee drum."

Elsa's eyes widened. "You did?" she said incredulously.

"Damn right, we did!" Rolf said proudly, seemingly unaware of the horror in Elsa's voice. "Taught him a lesson he won't forget in a long while!"

Elsa found herself at a loss for words. "Well, uh, thank you, Rolf," she said. "That's very…noble…of you."

Rolf waved a hand dismissively. "Ah, it's nothing," he said. "Our pop's getting too old to discipline him properly, so it was our responsibility to do it."

"I suppose so," Elsa said, trying to make sense of his idea of morality.

"That little shitbag has a hearing problem, you see," he continued. "He doesn't hear anything you say with your mouth. If you want to tell him something, you have to do it with your fist, or your foot. So now, if he ever comes near either you or Anna ever again, he knows he'll have two ass-whoopings coming – one from you, and one from us. So I don't think he'll be trying that anytime soon."

"That's…good, at least," Elsa managed.

Is this how other siblings treat each other? Siblings that aren't ga-ga over one another?

"Well, Rolf, I need to get to class," she said, backing away. "Thank you for telling me this. Really, uh, gives me some peace of mind."

"Hey, no problem," Rolf said, thankfully not following her. "Good luck between you and Anna! I hope you two are happy together!"

Elsa turned around, cringing. "Thanks," she said back to him.

Then, to herself, she muttered, "I hope that too, Rolf. I really, really do."

Rolf walked away, seemingly satisfied that he had assuaged all of Elsa's concerns.

The new information he had brought to light swirled around in Elsa's mind. She tried to push it away, hoping for a distraction. Luckily, one appeared.

"Elsa!" a voice called. The right voice, this time.

Elsa looked up and saw her, the white and purple of her outfit standing out against the green of the field. She grinned broadly and ran to her. "Esme!" she said excitedly.

They embraced, Esmeralda hugging her with the bone-breaking grip Elsa had missed for so long.

"Oh, it's so good to see you again!" Elsa said.

"You too, Elsie, you too," the brunette said. She released her from the bear hug and looked her up and down. "You're looking great. So strong!" She ran her arms up and down Elsa's. "Just look at these pythons!"

Elsa giggled, trying to ignore the similarity to the gesture Anna had done just the previous week. "Yeah," she said, taking the tone of an immodest bodybuilder. "I bench 320. What about it?"

Esmeralda laughed melodiously. "Well, I don't weigh quite that much, but…" She put her hands on Elsa's shoulders and jumped.

Elsa wrapped her arms around Esme's waist, fully supporting her. Esmeralda wrapped her legs around her, and they kissed passionately.

Huh. What are the odds. Strawberry chapstick.

"Heh, you're getting better at that," Esmeralda remarked.

Elsa regained her composure. "What part?" she asked. "The kiss, or holding you?"

"Both," Esmeralda said, lowering her legs and standing again. "I remember you used to have to break off after a few seconds, or you'd collapse."

She was out of her arms now, but still kept a hand on Elsa's back, caressing her lightly. She was the best kind of touchy.

Elsa smiled. "Well, either I've gotten stronger, or you've gotten lighter."

Esmeralda batted her eyes winsomely. "Couldn't it be both?" she said.

"Guess so, guess so," Elsa said. "So, your place or mine?"

She pouted. "Aw, and here I thought you were finally accepting my invitation to do it outdoors."

Elsa laughed, remembering how panicked she had been when Esmeralda had first suggested it. "Maybe next time."

"All right," Esmeralda said. "In that case, my place." She leaned in close to Elsa's ear and whispered. "Thicker walls."

xxxxxxx

Elsa writhed on the bed, letting out a string of moans and exhaled curses. Esmeralda didn't say anything; her mouth was full.

Elsa clutched the pillow and arched her back, reveling in the pleasure coursing from her center throughout her body – a pleasure only Esmeralda's tongue truly knew how to coax out.

Esme looked up at her, her expression making it clear that she was just as pleased to give Elsa this pleasure as Elsa was to receive it. Her eyes were full of passion. Bright, sea-green eyes, just like-

No, don't think about her, not now!

Elsa tried hard to keep herself in the here and now. She ran a hand through Esme's hair, which was most definitely brunette and not strawberry blonde. Esmeralda responded in mind, by reaching up and caressing Elsa's body with a dark-skinned, freckle-free hand. But as her pleasure rapidly mounted, Elsa saw what she wanted to see – or rather, what she didn't want to see.

"A-Ahhh!" she shouted, the climax rocking her body. She clutched the pillow tight, them slowly relaxed her grip.

Esmeralda let go of her thighs and crawled her way up Elsa's body until they were face to face. "So how was that, Elsie?" she asked in a low whisper.

"Great," Elsa breathed. "Great as ever, Esme."

"Yeah?" Esmeralda said playfully. "And just how great is that, exactly?"

In lieu of a response, Elsa grabbed her shoulders and flipped the two of them over, so that Esme was lying on the bed and Elsa was above her. She then moved downwards, towards Esme's previous position.

"This great," she said, taking a deep breath.

xxxxxxx

Esmeralda's bed was, on the whole, pretty big. But even now, they weren't using much of it.

Elsa sighed contentedly, wrapped as she was in all four of Esmeralda's limbs. "You give the best hugs, Esme."

The brunette chuckled. "Well, maybe it's just because you fit so damn perfectly into my arms."

"Yeah, that's probably it," Elsa responded.

Just like Anna fits perfectly in my…dammit.

Esmeralda seemed to sense the change in the blonde's demeanor. "So," she said, "you ready to tell me what's been bothering you?"

Elsa sighed. "Am I really that easy to read?" she said, not even attempting to contest it.

"Like a book," Esmeralda said. "Even from that text you sent me, I had my suspicions. Something's on your mind. And by something, I mean someone. And by someone, I mean not me."

Elsa threw up her arms. "You got me," she said, turning to face her. "There's a girl."

"A girl you want but can't have?" Esme suggested.

Elsa nodded.

"Whose name begins with an "A", I'm guessing."

Elsa hung her head guiltily. "I thought I might be able to pass that off as just a regular scream," she said.

"Yeah, well, try it with someone who hasn't made you scream hundreds of times already." She propped her head up on her fist. "So, want to tell me who it is? Or should I just call her Mystery Girl?"

Elsa thought for a minute. There was probably nobody else who she could trust more than Esme, but at the same time, she really didn't want to lose her support. If Esme was disgusted by it…okay, that probably wouldn't happen, but there still was a risk.

"You don't have to tell me," Esmerelda said quickly. "It's private, I get it. You've got barriers."

Elsa grinned ruefully. "Do I? And here I thought you'd torn them all down already."

Esme shook her head. "You never tear down all the barriers," she said. "There's always new ones behind the old ones."

Elsa nodded understandingly. She gathered her resolve. "I'll tell you," she decided. "You've told me all your dirty secrets – and you've got some pretty fuckin' dirty ones."

She grabbed her phone off the bedside table. She opened her photos and scrolled to a familiar face. "Anna," she said, showing Esme the phone. "My sister."

Esme's eyebrows arched. "Really?" she said disbelievingly. "I didn't think you were into redheads. Or…" She examined the picture closer. "…strawberry blondes," she amended.

Elsa stared at her. "_That's_ the only thing that surprises you?" she said incredulously.

"Not the only thing," Esmerelda countered. "Just the biggest thing."

Relief began to wash over Elsa, but she still felt confused.

"Come on, Elsa," Esme continued. "You used to gush about her all the time. 'My sister, she's so good at running, she can do a mile in five minutes, she's like a supergenius who's way smarter and cuter than me.'" Esme smirked. "To be honest, I was wondering when _you'd_ notice you were head over heels for her."

Elsa put a hand to her head. "Argh. If it's that easy to tell, she's figured it out by now for sure," she moaned.

Esme shrugged. "Maybe," she said. "Has she given any hints?"

Elsa blushed, her face still in her hand. "Oh, you mean other than kissing me on top of the Ferris wheel? Not much."

Esme blinked. "Okay, _now_ you've surprised me."

xxxxxxx

"…and then I just ran into the bathroom and hid, like a little bitch," Elsa said, drawing to the end of her story. "If that didn't give the game away, I don't know what will."

Esmerelda rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "So what happened after that?"

"Not much," Elsa said. "We spent the rest of the weekend together. Watched a few movies, played some Smash – the videogame, I mean! – and stuff like that. Never brought it up again."

"I see," Esme said. "Well, if she's figured it out, and she's not acting disgusted by it, that's probably a good sign."

"Maybe," Elsa admitted. "But I want to really be sure about it. The shrink told me to make sure-"

"Shrink?" Esmerelda interrupted. "Oh no – you didn't ask the school psychiatrist for advice, did you?"

"Yeah," Elsa said uncertainly, "I did. Is that bad?"

"Only if you listened to him," Esme said. "I've had a few friends go to Dr. Pablum. His advice was basically to lock their emotions in a box and throw it to the bottom of the Marianas Trench."

Elsa thought about it. "Yeah, I guess that was kind of the gist of it."

"Let me guess," the brunette continued. "He wanted to get you on SSRIs, didn't he?"

"Yes, actually," Elsa said. "Gave me a prescription and everything – for emergencies only."

"You didn't fill it, did you?" Esme asked.

"No," Elsa lied.

Esme sighed in relief. "Good," she said. "Those things can fuck you up."

"Really?" Elsa said. "How?"

"Well, it's different for every person, but sometimes they can permanently reduce or even get rid of your sex drive."

Elsa's eyes widened. "Why wouldn't he tell me that?"

Esme scoffed. "Why would he need to, when it's helpfully printed in tiny little letters on the bottle?"

Elsa thought about the small, unopened bottle in the bottom drawer in her room. It certainly did have a lot of very fine print on it…

"A shrink will always try to turn you into a vegetable, if you let them," Esmerelda continued. "Never let that happen."

Elsa thought this was a little bit unfair, but she could hear the emotion in her old flame's voice. She must've had some bad experiences.

"Emotions are what make us human," she concluded. "If you never feel happy – or sad – then you've never really lived."

"So what do you think I should do?" Elsa asked.

Esme stroked her chin again. "Honestly? I think you're in too deep by now to pretend nothing's going on. Tell Anna how you feel, see how she feels. If she loves you as much as you say, this wouldn't be enough to change that."

"And then what?" Elsa asked. "I just date my sister for real?"

Esme shrugged. "It probably happens more often than you think," she said. "You gotta figure that stuff gets under-reported."

Elsa fidgeted. "It's not that simple," she said. "Let's say she is into it, she does want to date me too. One, if she isn't really in love with me, just confused about all this, that could fuck her up for life. And two, even if she really is in love with me, it could still end up going bad, like…like…"

Esme put two and two together. "Like Belle?"

Elsa nodded mournfully.

"You two still aren't speaking, then?" Esme surmised.

"Nope," Elsa said. "She still hates my fucking guts." She hung her head.

Esmerelda caressed her shoulders gingerly. "Oh, Elsa, you can't keep beating yourself up over that. It wasn't your fault-"

"That doesn't matter!" Elsa said. "It could still happen again! I…I think I could live with Anna rejecting me. If we were still friends, that'd be fine. But if…if that happens to her…if we end up being…" She couldn't even finish the thought.

Esme pulled her into a hug. "Poor baby," she said, stroking her hair. "This must be hard on you, I know. I'm not sure there is a right answer for this. All you can do is trust in your sister. She's an adult, too. She loves you, she wants you to be happy."

"I do trust her," Elsa mumbled into Esme's chest. "It's myself I don't trust."


	16. Chapter 16: So close

**Chapter sixteen**

**So close**

_thud_

Anna stopped in the hallway. It was a faint sound, so quiet as to be almost unnoticeable, but she definitely heard it. She stood still, so as to quiet the rustle of her pajamas.

_thud_

There it was again, coming from Elsa's room.

She went to Elsa's door then knocked softly. "Elsa?" she said. "Can I come in?"

A few seconds passed before the response came back, leaden and dull. "Sure, come on in."

She sounded unenthused – even more than one should, at this hour – but Anna had gotten permission, so she entered.

Most of Elsa's room was dark. The curtains had been shut, so there was no moonlight visible. The sole source of illumination was Elsa's desk lamp, whose harsh yellow light cast shadows across the vast mounds of detritus throughout the room.

Elsa was seated at her desk, her head down on it. At first, Anna thought she might have dozed off, but the thuds she had heard earlier suggested a more percussive explanation.

"Are…are you okay, Elsa?" she asked cautiously.

Elsa raised her head and turned to look at her. Her eyes were bleary and bloodshot. She smiled weakly.

"I'm fine," she said. "Studying for an exam I'm gonna fucking fail, that's all."

Anna walked to her, arms outstretched. "Don't say that," she said, hugging Elsa from behind. Elsa seemed to not have the energy required to reciprocate. "You're just tired, that's all. I'm sure you've got…"

She trailed off as she glanced at Elsa's notebook. "Oh my," she said.

Elsa nodded. "Yep."

Anna stared at the pages, trying to make heads or tails of what she saw.

"At least penmanship isn't graded, huh?" Elsa said with a small, rueful smile.

Anna attempted to phrase her next question as politely as possible. "Can…can_ you_ read this?"

"Kinda," Elsa replied.

Anna looked at her.

"I just try to write down everything the professor says," Elsa said defensively. "If I take the time to write neatly, I miss shit."

"I get it," Anna said in a placatory voice. Elsa looked guilty about raising her voice. "It certainly looks like you did that," Anna said, glancing at the numerous different sheets of lined paper strewn across the desk, each filled with the same inscrutable writing.

Scanning the pages longer, Anna deciphered a few familiar key words. "Oh, this is differential equations!" she said.

Elsa raised her eyebrows, a seemingly Herculean task at her current mental state. "You know that class?"

"Yeah, we did a bit of it in one of my AP classes," Anna said. "They were talking about dropping it from the curriculum, since so many students have trouble with it."

"They oughta keep it," Elsa said bitterly. "Might as well let them know how much bullshit it is before they take a major that fucking requires it."

She thumped her head against the desk again. "I need an 80 on this exam to pass, and it's just not gonna fucking happen."

Anna put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry," Anna said. "You're smart, you can do this. You're the most determined person I know. When you set your mind on something, you always manage to get it done – always."

Elsa looked at her. "Anna, I already failed this class once."

Anna stopped mid-sentence, surprised. Elsa continued.

"I was really trying this time, ok? I went to all the classes, I took notes on everything, I even joined a study group. It just barely helped. All this shit is still just in one ear, out the other. I failed it already, and I'm gonna fail it again." She put her head in her hands. "It's not the only class I've had to retake, either."

If she had been cautious before, Anna was doubly so now as she picked the words for her next question. "How…how many have you-"

"Five," Elsa said, her voice cracking. "Five classes – this'll be the sixth. That means I'm gonna be in college for an extra semester – an extra year, if this keeps up." She chuckled bitterly. "At least I can do that much math."

This was the Elsa that Anna had hoped she would never see again – raw, emotional, and shaken to the core. Her heart ached with empathy.

"Mom and Dad just told me to relax," Elsa continued, her voice getting higher. "They said, 'It's not how long you're there that matters, it's what you learn while you're there.' Well, I've learned stuff, all right. Before I went to college, I thought I was pretty smart – not a genius, but still smart enough. But now I know, for a fact, that I'm a complete fucking-"

"No, you're not," Anna said firmly.

Elsa was stopped in her tracks.

"Whatever you were about to call yourself, it isn't true," Anna said. "Because you are smart. I know you are. You just learn differently than how colleges like to teach."

Elsa tried to interrupt. Anna didn't let her.

"My AP math teacher used to teach in college. He said that he's seen dozens of smart students fail because they never got a chance to learn in the way they're most receptive to."

"Which is?" Elsa asked.

Anna grabbed a chair, pulled it up to the desk, and sat down. "One on one."

She looked over the deal, analyzing the loose sheets of paper. "Do you have a study guide?"

Elsa held up her hands. "No, Anna, I can't burden you with this stuff. You've got your own tests to study for. I've made my own bed on this one."

Anna put a hand on her shoulder. "You think seeing you like this isn't a burden for me?" she said quietly.

Elsa looked down guiltily. Anna squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. "Please, Elsa, let me help you with this. You helped me with Hans, now let me help you with what I'm good at."

At last, Elsa's feeble resistance crumbled. Her tense body slacked, and she scooted her chair over to make room for Anna. She looked at her sister, face flush with gratitude. "Thank you, Anna," she said, her voice still raw, but no longer filled with despair.

Anna kissed her on the cheek. "You're welcome," she said. "You're very, very welcome."

A mischievous voice inside her head told her to follow through with a second kiss, more passionately this time, but she ignored it. This was not the time for playing around. Elsa needed her.

xxxxxxx

Elsa lowered her pencil to the desk, followed by her arm. She checked her watch. 12:30 – 45 minutes after Anna had entered her room. She'd pulled all-nighters longer than this, but not when she had a 6:30 bus to catch the next morning. It was high time she called it a night.

She surveyed the items on her desk. Ten scrawling, heavily marked pages of notes were now in the trash, replaced by three pages of tidy, immaculately written notes. Her study guide was there, with small, neat check marks next to half of the items. A half-empty Monster can rested on a coaster in the corner. She hadn't touched it in the last half hour on Anna's request, and its effects – namely, the pounding in her left temple – had begun to subside.

"Let's stop for now," she said. "We can look at the rest Satur…"

As she looked to her right, she trailed off. Smiling, she added another item to the list of things on her desk – Anna, whose head was now resting on the desk and who was snoring softly. A small trickle of drool came from the corner of her mouth. It was, in all objectivity, the cutest thing Elsa had ever seen.

Elsa chuckled softly. "Way ahead of me, huh? As usual."

She had already thanked her half a dozen times that night, and it still felt inadequate. Despite not understanding all of it herself, Anna had managed to reorganize the information in such a way that it had finally clicked for her. She'd written down a bunch of notes in class without fully understanding what they meant, but now, with them laid out so neatly, Elsa was finally piecing them together.

Elsa stroked her sister's neck lovingly. "You're a fucking genius, Anna," she said softly. "A goddamn Einstein." She tenderly took Anna's shoulders and pulled them back, until she was leaning back in the chair. "But here's one thing I can do better than you."

She put one hand behind Anna's neck, and her other arm under her knees. Then, with a single heave, she lifted. Now carrying Anna, she stood up and headed for the door, walking towards Anna's room.

Anna, of course, woke up from this. After looking around confusedly for a moment, she looked at her sister and smiled. "Bedtime already?" she mumbled.

Elsa nodded. "That big brain of yours needs its rest, and I need my beauty sleep."

Anna wrapped her arms around Elsa's neck. "No y'don't."

Elsa giggled. "You're right, I don't," she said. "But my head's all full of numbers now. If I don't sleep soon, it'll explode."

Anna caressed her sister's face with one hand, lazily, as if unconsciously. "Wouldn't want that," she said.

Her touch sent shivers down Elsa's spine, exciting her tremendously. Thanks to Esmeralda's ministrations the previous day, however, the effects were muted, manageable. Elsa felt a pang of guilt, using her old girlfriend in such a utilitarian manner, but it helped keep her desires much more bearable.

Elsa turned her body sideways as she entered Anna's room, being careful not to brush her head or feet on the doorway. The covers were already thrown aside, so she had only to deposit her on the bed.

Anna looked up at her sister with adoration, her drowsiness robbing her of the capacity for subtlety. "Thanks for the lift," she said.

Elsa shook her head. "I should be thanking you, Anna. You've been a bigger help than any study group could ever be. Thanks to you, I…I might be able to pass after all."

Anna took Elsa's hand in her own. "Any time, Elsa," she said. "I'm here for you. Always."

Elsa felt tears at the corner of her eyes. She turned away and headed for the door.

Anna didn't let go of her hand. Elsa turned back, looking at her confusedly.

"Stay with me," Anna pleaded.

Elsa blinked. "I…can't. I need to go to bed."

"Uh, yeah," Anna said, as if the point was obvious. She glanced down, at the open space on the bed beside her.

"Oh," Elsa said, hoping her blush was undetectable in the darkness. "I'd love to, but I…can't."

Anna frowned. "Why not?"

Elsa fumbled, searching within the recesses of her sleep-deprived mind for some kind of valid reason. "Because, uh, my, my…" She gestured to the phone in her pocket. "My alarm," she finished lamely. "It'll wake you up, too. Tomorrow morning."

Anna smirked at her. "I don't mind."

Despite having carried her moments before, Elsa was now powerless to escape her sister's grasp. And the bed was looking incredibly appealing at the moment. It was big, it was warm, it was here, and most importantly, it had Anna in it.

Elsa gestured downward, at her jeans. "At least let me change into my-"

"Nope," Anna said, her smirk now a wicked grin.

Elsa sagged. "Fine," she said, defeated. With her free hand, she unbuttoned her jeans and squirmed out of them. She was sure Anna could see her blush now, but at this point it seemed like a reasonable response.

She crawled into the bed, and Anna relinquished the hold on her hand, throwing the blankets over the two of them before draping an arm over her neck. "Night, sis," she murmured, closing her eyes. "Sweet dreams."

Elsa put an arm around Anna's waist. "Night," she said in return.

As if I could fall asleep like this.

Elsa felt nothing short of euphoric. The feeling of being so near to Anna, feeling Anna's warm breath on her face, holding her and being held by her – it was like a dream come true. Yet as her excitement increased, so did her shame in herself.

Goddamnit, this was supposed to be what hooking up with Esme would help me avoid! I'm not even wet, but I feel more attracted to her than ever! Why?

Because there's a difference between love and sex, you fucking idiot.

Elsa pressed her free hand to her forehead. It seemed so obvious, spelled out like that. She'd been trying to resolve her feelings for Anna through purely physical means. But she didn't just want to sleep with Anna, end of story. She wanted to _be_ with Anna, forever. She wanted to do exactly what she was doing right now, every night, with Anna knowing exactly how and how much she loved her. She wanted to spend her life in Anna's arms – sex came in a distant second. Acting like love for Anna could be cured by lust for Esme was an insult to both of them.

She looked at Anna, who was now asleep again. She was so beautiful, so wonderful, so innocent. In spite of her guilt, when she looked at Anna, Elsa couldn't help but feel at peace. Anna's feet, drifting seemingly on their own accord, traced up and down Elsa's bare legs, sending shivers up her spine. Even completely naked, cuddling with Esme couldn't compare to this. And once that thought had entered her head, it quickly led to another, one Elsa had been trying to stifle for a while now.

I'm never going to be happy with anyone else. Not this happy, at least – not by a long shot.

Finally admitting this to herself brought at least some small modicum of peace to her mind, and Mr. Sandman came rushing in to seize his foothold. Elsa found herself drifting off to sleep, her unanswered questions smothered in Anna's warm embrace. All save for one.

Okay, so you know what'll make _you_ happy. But what about Anna? Does she feel the same way? Does she even know how she feels, or have you sent her enough mixed signals to completely fry her own perception?

Elsa's last conscious thought was an answer. It wasn't a good answer, or even a satisfactory one, but it was indeed an answer.

Well, I'm going to see a romance movie with her this Friday. Maybe I'll figure it out then.


	17. Chapter 17: What she wants

**Chapter seventeen**

**What she wants**

The two girls stepped off the bus, Elsa thanking the driver by name.

"That was quicker than I thought," Anna said. "Not as fast as driving, but still not bad."

"And now we don't have to worry about parking," Elsa added, gesturing to the packed theater parking lot.

They walked the short distance to the ticket booth hand in hand, already in the cool shadow of the theater. At some point during the bus ride, Anna had taken her hand, and they just hadn't let go yet.

"Hi! Anna said brightly to the elderly lady behind the glass partition. "Two tickets for _The Moon Has Two Faces_ at 6:00, please!"

The woman frowned disapprovingly at them, but handed them their tickets regardless.

"Sheesh, what's her problem?" Anna muttered as they walked away.

"No idea," Elsa said quickly.

The lobby was just as crowded as it had been the last time, but a considerable line had formed at the concession stand. "So, I'll get snacks, you get a seat?" Elsa offered.

"Sure thing!" Anna said. "Grab me a pretzel?"

"You got it, dude," Elsa said.

"Thanks, Elsie!" Anna said. She kissed her on the cheek, then raced off to the theater. "See you in a few!"

Elsa ran her fingers across her cheek.

So I'm Elsie now, I guess. Does she know that's what Esme calls me, or…no, she couldn't know.

Elsa busied her mind, as best she could, with looking around at the other people in line. Of course, it consisted of exactly the sort of people she expected it to. Nearly everyone in line, and most everyone else in the lobby, had a boyfriend or girlfriend at hand or in arm. Guiltily, Elsa realized that this would've been an excellent first date spot for Anna's potential new girlfriend. Anna would've had the chance to apply all the lessons that Elsa Schneider, her helpful friend, had taught her.

But instead, she's here with me. And I'm trying to figure out whether or not I've corrupted her.

Elsa quickly countered her own thought. No, that's not true! Anna's a grown woman, she's capable of making her own choices. If she does feel something for me, then she arrived at that decision on her own.

Still, Elsa couldn't shake the intrusive thought. She thought of all the times that Anna had come to her for advice, naïve and knowing nothing about what she was doing. And just because she hadn't forced her sister down this particular path, didn't mean she wasn't partially responsible for it…

"What can I get you, ma'am?"

Elsa snapped out of her spiral. Back here on planet Earth, she had reached the front of the line. She quickly composed herself and told the cashier what she wanted.

Well, there's one upside to these existential crises I'm having on a regular basis now. Makes long lines just melt away…

xxxxxxx

The lights had just begin to dim when Elsa made her way into the theater. She scanned the crowd and quickly located Anna, waving eagerly from the center of the middle row. Elsa made her way up there, balancing their various concessions. One she reached the correct row, she edged her way past a couple that had already started sucking face, seemingly needing no assistance from the movie to get in the mood.

"Here you are, ma'am," Elsa said, presenting her drink and pretzel with a flourish.

"Thanks, sis!" Anna said, planting a kiss on Elsa's other cheek. A chaste, sisterly kiss, just as the one in the lobby had been. Maybe this all had been a misunderstanding after all. Not sure if she should be relieved or disappointed if that was the case, Elsa decided to just sit down and wait to see it any new developments arose.

Then, as the previews ended, Anna lifted up the armrest that divided them. She didn't move any closer or farther, she just lifted it and stayed where she was.

This is a test, she realized.

I suck at tests.

After a few seconds of intense internal debate, she scooched closer to Anna, and offered her arm. Anna accepted it in an instant, wrapping her pretzel-free hand around Elsa's waist in return.

"Just so you know," Anna whispered to her, "I might start crying at certain points in the movie. Can I hug you like this when that happens?"

Elsa smiled at her. "I am insulted you had to ask," she said smarmily, squeezing her shoulder. Anna, content with this response, lingered in Elsa's embrace for a bit longer.

Elsa sniffed.

Anna's wearing perfume. That's a new development.

xxxxxxx

Both armrests were down again, if only for Elsa to grip them.

A few hours ago, Elsa had been worried. Not about her feelings for Anna – those were ever-present now, always at the back of her mind. No, her worry had been that she wouldn't be nearly as into the movie as Anna was. She'd never so much as touched a romance novel, let alone a movie. There was no action, and based on the ratings, barely any nudity in the case of the films, which Elsa thought would've been the whole point of making such a movie to begin with. And the critics always complained about clichéd storytelling, bad acting, and unoriginal plots. She'd been preparing to bite down her own cynicism, to make it appear as if she was just as enraptured as Anna would be.

Well, as it turned out, there was no need for deception.

_"Please, John,"_ begged the woman onscreen. _"Don't make this even harder for me. You know we can't be together. Your life, your job, your friends – your whole world is an ocean away."_

John shook his head, drawing her into his arms. _"My world is right in front of me,"_ he said, holding her tight. _"Right here, in my arms."_

Was this bad writing? Elsa found herself incapable of judging it. She'd gotten hooked on these characters by the fifteen minute mark and hadn't let go yet. Critics must have hearts of stone.

The two kissed, and the music swelled. In the audience, there were murmurs of happiness and pleasure all around. Even Elsa felt some kind of stirring inside of her.

A hand now appeared on top of her own. Anna's, of course, perhaps clutching for the armrest as well. Except she wasn't letting go.

Elsa looked at her, and the movie, the theater, and everything else vanished from her mind.

Anna had tears on her face, but her eyes were clear now. The look she now fixed on her sister was a desperate one, radiating, above all else, _need_. Her tears were merely leaks in a floodgate of emotions, bottled up far too long to be healthy. Just seeing this look on her face sent Elsa's own body into a frenzy. She ached with desire for this beautiful, perfect woman next to her, and for once, had no doubt that Anna felt the same way.

_"Elsa."_

One single word uttered by her sister, and the fireworks going off inside her body doubled in intensity. Anna's voice was raw, emotional, and pleading. Elsa had never been good at reading emotions, but in this moment, she had absolutely no doubt as to what her sister wanted.

Elsa leaned forward, and hooked a finger around Anna's chin. Anna rushed forward as well. They kissed ferociously, their tongues dancing around each other. Whatever hesitance Anna had shown on the Ferris wheel was long gone.

Five seconds passed, then ten. Still they kissed, only separating the bare minimum required to keep breathing. Each time they did, a soft moan escaped from Elsa's mouth. Even more primal sounds escaped from Anna's mouth.

Elsa's senses were overwhelmed with Anna. The taste of Anna, the smell of Anna, the feel of Anna – it all swirled together into a cocktail of passion in her brain. She held Anna's head, eager to maintain as much contact as possible. In that moment, she regretted every time she had touched another girl, looked at another girl – even thought about any girl other than Anna.

Somehow, Anna maintained the presence of mind to raise the armrest again, allowing them to draw closer. With that done, she then set about wrapping her arms around Elsa as tightly as she could. Elsa kept her hands on Anna's head, not trusting them to stay above Anna's clothes.

Neither of them wanted the moment to end, but end it eventually did. Reluctantly, and very slowly, the two girls separated, then sank back into their seats, thoroughly exhausted. Elsa panted heavily, clutching the seat as if to affirm the reality of her situation. Once again, they were both thinking the exact same thing.

Did I really just do that?

xxxxxxx

The credits rolled across the screen, and people gradually stood up and left, mostly in pairs. After a quick web search to make sure there weren't any after credits scenes, Elsa and Anna did the same, joining the queue filing out of the theater.

It seemed several other couples had also taken the opportunity to draw closer together, as many couples were joined together by hands, arms, or mouths. Anna and Elsa looked straight ahead, shoulders an inch apart but not quite touching, keeping perfect pace with each other unconsciously.

At the bus stop, they stood stock still together, both wanting to talk but neither knowing what to say. Anna glanced at Elsa's hand and slowly started to reach for it.

"So," Elsa said. Anna withdrew her hand quickly. "That…movie. It's pretty good."

"Yeah," Anna agreed. "It was."

Silence.

"You said this was a series?" Elsa asked after some time.

"Yep," Anna answered. "Four books so far, fifth one on the way."

"We'll have to see those when they come out," Elsa said.

Silence. Deafening silence.

Elsa finally turned towards her sister. "We need to talk," she said.

Anna looked at her. "Yes," she agreed. "Yes we do."


	18. Chapter 18: Time to talk

**Chapter eighteen**

**Time to talk**

Forget what she had said before. It was the longest bus ride ever.

Anna looked straight ahead, hands on her lap, not saying a single word. From a few furtive glances to the side, she knew Elsa was doing exactly the same thing. She desperately wanted to break the silence, but she didn't dare to do so until she knew where things stood between the two of them.

And why is it only _now_ that this is such a big deal? This isn't even the first time you've French-kissed your sister. Or did the first time not count because it was Elsa Schneider?

She blushed. It felt stupid now, but that had genuinely been her line of reasoning immediately afterwards. The only way she could possibly square away her feelings for her sister was to pretend that it was all meaningless, merely her sister performing the courtesy of demonstrating how a proper date worked, in as hands-on a way as was possible.

An idea struck her, a horrible invasive thought.

Was this all just a ruse by her, to get closer to me?

She dismissed the idea instantly. Of course that wasn't it. Elsa had helped her, in her hour of need, and then things just…escalated from there.

But then there was that Christmas party…

She balled up her fists.

I'll wait for her to explain herself. No point in speculating before then.

But speculate she did. Unable to set her mind on anything else, Anna spent the whole bus ride thinking of possible explanations, each worse than the last. She was so absorbed in thought that she didn't even notice when the bus pulled into her neighborhood.

She jumped when Elsa placed a hand on her shoulder. "This is our stop, Anna," she said softly.

"Huh?" Anna looked out the window. "Oh, hahaha, of course," she said, tittering nervously. "Thanks."

Elsa cracked a little smile. "Well, I wouldn't just leave you here, now would I?"

Anna breathed deeply. Elsa was clearly just as off-kilter as she was, but she was still managing to stay strong. She could only be doing that for her sake. Anna felt guilty for even feeling a hint of doubt towards her sister.

I trust Elsa. No matter what may be going on in her head or mine, I trust her.

She stood up. "No," she said. "You wouldn't."

xxxxxxx

Elsa entered the house first, holding the door open for Anna, who quietly thanked her. They both made their way into the kitchen, Anna pouring herself a glass of water while Elsa grabbed a beer. The two sat down at the dinner table, each silently hoping for the other to say the first word while they sipped their drinks.

Finally, Elsa lowered her bottle to the table. "I like you," she blurted out.

Gee, that clears things up. Wanna try that one again?

"I mean," she continued, reddening, "I…really like you, Anna." She lowered her head. "In a way that sisters…shouldn't like each other."

Anna nodded. "I feel the same way about you, Elsa," she said. "I really like you, Elsa. More than anyone else I've dated. More than anyone I could even think of dating."

She had gathered as much already, but hearing Anna say the words out loud comforted Elsa greatly. Thus emboldened, she spoke up again.

"I don't know how long I've felt this way, exactly," she said. "But I only started suspecting I felt it after our second date, at the movie theater."

Anna chuckled. "So you made it to the end of the movie, then? I think you held out about an hour longer than me."

Another relief. If Anna had fallen for her right after the first date, that would've been far more questionable.

"And was that the first time that you ever feel attracted to me, looking back?" she asked.

Anna scratched her head. "Gee, I guess so," she said. "I've never really felt too attracted to anyone before that. Not Kristoff or Hans, that's for sure."

That's a warning light. Definitely want clarification on that one.

"And you're sure that's not just because we're sisters, right?" Elsa followed up.

Anna blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I love you," Elsa started. Anna blushed. "As a sister, I mean. But my love for you as a sister and my attraction to you as a person, those two things are separate. Totally distinct from each other. Can you say the same thing?"

Anna thought for a moment, them nodded sharply. "Yes," she said. "I can."

That's three votes for certainty, and one vote for confusion. Could be a whole lot worse.

Elsa took a deep breath. "Okay," she said. "That's the past taken care of. Now, let's talk about the future." She steepled her fingers and looked directly at Anna. "How far do you think we should take this?"

Anna's brow furrowed. "I don't know," she said. "As far as we both want to, I guess?"

"I'd be careful with that," Elsa said cautiously. "It's not that simple. Nothing about this is going to be simple." Anna looked confused, so she went on. "Relationships are…messy. A lot of times, they end poorly. So poorly that it leaves a mark on both parties involved. You know what that's like already."

"I do," Anna said, nodding solemnly. "But you aren't like Hans. I knew him for a couple months - I've known you for years. You're nothing like him."

"I don't have to be," Elsa said. "Neither do you. Even two perfectly good people can make mistakes. And in a relationship, one mistake can cost…everything."

She lowered her head. Anna nodded, and Elsa was sure she knew exactly what she was talking about now.

Her breakup with Belle had been the first time she had stayed home from college for more than a weekend. For weeks afterwards, she'd cried herself to sleep, and Anna had been by her side the whole time. There had been no secrets – she'd answered every question Anna had asked, and even told her things she never would've thought to ask. She'd even admitted that she'd spent a few nights in strip clubs just to have someone to touch.

"When I broke Belle's heart, mine broke, too," Elsa said. "You were there for me then. Who's going to be there for you if I break your heart?"

"It's okay, Elsa," Anna said, smiling. "You learned from your mistakes. I trust you not to-"

"It's not about trust," Elsa interrupted. "Every couple makes mistakes and gets into fights sometimes. I can't promise that I'll never piss you off. If you think back, you'll remember that I'm very good at it."

"Okay, yeah, we've fought before," Anna admitted. "But we always make up."

"Because we're sisters. We're close, but not that close. When you have a girlfriend, you get way closer. That means that when she hurts you, it cuts deeper. Way deeper." Elsa looked down at her hands. "I got lucky with Esmeralda. Really fucking lucky. No matter how much I fucked up, she always managed to forgive me. I don't want to have to test you like that."

Anna spent a few moments on silence, processing Elsa's warnings. Then she reached out and took her hand. "I understand the risks, Elsa. I'm willing to take them. For you. No matter what happens, I won't hate you."

Elsa looked up at her, eyes welling up. "Can you promise me that?" she said, voice unsteady. "Even if I hurt you worse than…worse than Hans?"

Anna took her other hand. "You could never. You love me, and I love you. Nothing you could do could ever make me doubt that."

"Yes," Elsa said. "I love you as a sister. What we're doing, right now, this would make us…more than sisters. I want that. I really want that. But more than that, I never want us to be _less_ than sisters. So promise me, no matter how much I-"

"Either of us," Anna interjected.

"Fine. No matter how much either of us fucks up and hurts the other, we won't ever stop being sisters. Promise me that, and I'll do it."

Anna couldn't stand to be out of her sister's arms any longer, so she stood up and dashed around the table. She wrapped Elsa in a bear hug, which Elsa gladly returned. "I promise," she whispered. "I promise we'll always be sisters. No matter what."

And for maybe the first time since she had recognized her own feelings for Anna, Elsa thought things might just end well after all.

xxxxxxx

If Elsa had had her way, they simply would've stayed there, in each other's arms, for the rest of the evening, or maybe even the rest of time. But no, there was work to be done.

She cleared her throat as Anna got up, then say down again in the seat nearest to her. "So, we're going to do this," she said. "We're going to…date for real." Just saying it out loud gave her butterflies.

Anna nodded happily.

"We're going to need some ground rules, then."

"Okay," Anna said. "Like what?"

"First of all," Elsa said, "The matter of who we tell about this relationship. Now, it'd be ready to say that we don't tell anyone, keep it a complete secret. But…" She felt a pang of guilt, but she kept going. "I have already confided in Esmeralda."

"Can she keep a secret?" Anna asked.

"To the grave," Elsa said. "But if I've got a friend that knows, it's only fair that you can have one as well. Just make sure you find someone who you know for a fact you can trust to never, ever tell anyone about it."

Anna stroked her chin. "Hmm, I'll think about it. I wouldn't want to tell Punz about it, that's for sure."

"God, no," Elsa agreed.

She wanted to leave it at that, but her conscience prodded at her to tell the whole truth. "Truth be told," she said, scratching the back of her neck, "I did more than just confide in her."

"Meaning?"

Elsa fidgeted. "Well, remember, I didn't think my feelings for you were…reciprocal, so…I wanted to clear my head, and I…"

Anna nodded. "I see," she said.

"Can you forgive me?" Elsa asked piteously.

Ten agonizing seconds passed while Anna deliberated. "There's nothing to forgive," she decided. "We weren't dating then – not for real, anyway. You didn't think we would be."

The tension in Elsa's body was released instantly. "Thank you so much," she said gratefully.

"It's not going to happen again," Anna said. It wasn't a question.

"No, it isn't," Elsa agreed vehemently.

An awkward pause followed.

"So, uh, next ground rule?" Anna prompted, clearly as eager to move on as Elsa.

"Right," Elsa said. "Public displays of affection."

"Hmm, yeah," Anna said. "I'm guessing we avoid those?"

"Mostly," Elsa said. "As long as we don't run into anyone we know, we should be safe, but I don't think either of us want to be constantly looking over our shoulders for old friends."

"Guess so," Anna said, a little sadly.

"That said," Elsa followed up, "I don't think anyone would look twice at two sisters holding hands. And if you just can't help yourself, just give me a signal. There's always some dark corner we could run off to…"

Anna snorted. "Can't help myself? Like I'm some crazed kiss-hungry vixen?"

"You'd be surprised," Elsa said, a faint smile on her face. "I know I've been there."

"Well, I'll be sure to let you know," Anna said. "Next item?"

Elsa's face hardened, grew more serious. "Next item," she said. "Comfort and discomfort."

Anna motioned for her to continue. Elsa prepared her words carefully.

"This…everything we're doing…is Terra Incognita. I really want to keep going, but we have to be very, very careful, and take things slowly. Even stuff that you'd take for granted in a normal relationship will be different for us. We've already talked about how critical a mistake could be."

Anna nodded.

"So, here's what I propose. We'll be taking things slowly and carefully. If I start moving too fast, you tell me. If we're making out and I do something that doesn't feel okay, tell me. If you just wake up one morning and all of this feels…not right, tell me. I'll pull the brakes, we'll talk about it. Deal?"

Anna frowned. "You mean, if I wake up and suddenly decide incest is icky?" she said, sounding a little insulted.

"Not just that," Elsa said. "Even normal relationships go on for too long sometimes. They carry on even when one or both participants aren't in love anymore. It's a bad situation, and it just puts both of them through unneeded stress." She looked Anna in the eye. "Imagine how much worse that would be for the two of us."

"I…hadn't thought about that," Anna admitted.

"I really don't mean to patronize you, Anna. I'm just walking on eggshells here." She smiled reassuringly. "I'm willing to follow this as far as both of us are comfortable with, but only that far. Does that sound fair?"

Anna nodded vigorously. "Yes, it does," Anna said.

Elsa smiled. "Shall we seal it with a kiss, then?"

Anna bounded out of her chair. "You bet!" she said, racing to Elsa's side. Elsa pursed her lips.

_Smooch_

"All right," Elsa said satisfactorily. "It's official. You are now my girlfriend, and I'm yours."

Anna beamed. A raised eyebrow soon followed, though. "That was the whole kiss?" she asked.

Elsa smirked. "Well, that was just the kiss to seal it. Now that you're my girlfriend, you can kiss me as long and as often as you like."

And Anna did just that.


	19. Chapter 19: The real test

**Chapter nineteen**

**The real test**

I'm dating Elsa. Holy shit, I'm really dating Elsa!

Anna suppressed her urge to squeal. She doubted her fellow students would much appreciate it.

The classroom was dead silent, save for the scribbling sounds of dozens of pencils filling in bubbles. It was only the first exam of the week, and already, the atmosphere felt thick with stress. However, after two practice exams, Anna was basically on autopilot now. There wasn't much in this test that could challenge her. But there were enough other things going on to occupy her mind.

None of this felt real. A month ago, she had staggered home from a date with a man she felt nothing for, bawling her eyes out. But some time between now and then, she could've been hit by a car and sent to cloud nine, for all she knew. Now, she was in a relationship, with a tall, strong, and drop dead gorgeous girl, who just so happened to also be her sister. It doesn't get much crazier than that!

Her mind was buzzing with possibilities. She had both of their exam schedules memorized, and was now trying to think of something to do in every single open gap.

Hmm, Wednesday afternoon is free for both of us – maybe we could go for a walk around Filman park. Then Thursday evening – well, that's after her physics exam, so she might need to be consoled if she doesn't do well…

Hey whole body was teeming with energy. She longed to tell someone about it but couldn't think of who. Even if she had wanted to tell Punz or Eugene, she knew they couldn't keep a secret from each other, and Elsa had specified _one_ confidant. Gotta be careful. Gotta be careful.

I'm not good at being careful.

It had taken her way longer than it should've to figure out what was wrong when dating Hans. Even Punz and Eugene had figured it out before her. They'd tried, oh so gently, to warn her about him, but she'd been so damn smitten that she hadn't noticed his true nature until it was too late. And now, she wouldn't have those lifelines at all.

It's fine. It's Elsa. She'd never do anything to hurt me. She's so considerate, and experienced, and amazing…

She forcibly shunted her painful memory of Hans away and replaced it with a better one, one of her and Elsa. She'd been seven, and Elsa had been ten. They were riding their bikes when Anna got a flat tire. Without thinking twice, Elsa had hopped off her own bike and placed Anna on the seat, letting her sister ride her bike while she herself walked Anna's back home.

That's just the kind of girl she is. That's the kind of sister she's always been. And that's exactly the kind of girlfriend she's going to be. I just know it.

The bell finally rang, signaling the end of the test. Anna looked over her test one last time – not to check her answers, she'd already done that twice, but to make sure she hadn't idly scribbled anything embarrassing. Satisfied that she hadn't, she handed in her test and walked merrily out the door.

She's the only lifeline I need.

xxxxxxx

Don't fuck this up. Whatever you do, do not fuck this up.

Elsa stared at the dense collection of letters and numbers on the exam sheet. She them looked over at the even denser, far more unruly collection of the same on her scratch sheet of paper. She spotted a mistake, erased it, recalculated the subsequent numbers, then wrote a new number at the bottom. Frowning, she erased the circle around the "A" on the exam sheet and circled the "C" in the same row. Even now, she panicked and feared she had made another mistake, but a cursory reexamination of her process indicated that she had made the right choice. Now, it was on to the next question. And the next crisis.

Only five left to go. 80% or bust. And so far, I think I've…got this?

She could barely believe it herself, but it felt like she finally had a handle on things. After two more late night study sessions – albeit not quite as late, on Anna's insistence – Differential Equations seemed, if not easy, at least manageable. Anna had trimmed down her notes considerably, and boosted their efficacy threefold. It still wasn't _fun_, but it was manageable. And it was all thanks to her wonderful sister.

Girlfriend, now. Also girlfriend.

Elsa sighed. Save it for after the test, she told herself as she moved on to the next question. But she already felt the butterflies stirring.

She still couldn't believe things had turned out so well. At worst, she had feared that Anna would be so repulsed that she never spoke to her again. Instead, she was just as into it as Elsa herself was.

You still don't know that for sure. She's into it, but you don't know _how_ into it she is. Be cautious.

But it was hard to stay cautious. She'd spent the whole weekend in a giddy haze, savoring every second she spent with Anna. Any attempt to rein herself in felt like being a massive killjoy, so she simply hadn't. Only today, when she had parted with her sister out of necessity, had the concern and worry come creeping back into her mind. There were still a million ways this could all come crashing down, most of them being her fault.

Concluding her calculations, Elsa looked at the four possible answers. Immediately, the correct one jumped out at her. It was clearly "D", and she marked it so. How nice of them, to throw in such an easy question neat the end. Except…

She looked at the question again. The specific numbers had changed, but she recognized the format. This same problem had been on last semester's final exam. What's more, she had spent a good twenty minutes agonizing over it, trying to figure out what the hell she was supposed to do, only to arrive at the wrong answer anyway. And she'd just blown through it as if it had asked her what two plus two was. Anna may have taught her how to do it, but she had still done it herself.

Anna's got faith in me – maybe a little too much faith. Would it kill me to have a little faith in myself?

xxxxxxx

Elsa strolled out of the lecture hall, confidently placing her test atop the pile. She looked around at the other students filing out. Some looked stressed, some relieved, some confident, and for once, she found herself in the latter category. Not to say she wasn't stressed – she doubted she would ever not be stressed before her graduation – but she felt a good deal more optimistic.

Her phone started buzzing as she walked back towards her down. She withdrew it, and noted the caller – exactly who she thought it would be.

Don't miss a beat, do you? I told you the exam was over at 3:30, and you call me at 3:31.

Smiling, she answered the phone. "Hey, Anna," she said brightly.

"Hey, babe," came the reply, in a ludicrously 'casual' voice. "What's up?"

Elsa couldn't help but let out a giggle.

"Too much?" Anna asked in her normal voice.

"A little," Elsa said. "But by all means, keep experimenting."

"I'll be sure to," Anna said with a laugh. "So, based on your tone, I'm guessing the Diff eq exam went all right?"

"Don't jinx it," Elsa said, "but I think it just might've."

"Hooray!" Anna shouted, followed by an odd whooshing noise that must've been caused by Anna jumping for joy.

"I don't think I even need to ask about your test," Elsa said with a smirk, "but how was it?"

"It went okay," Anna said.

"Come on, now," Elsa said. "I don't need any of this false modesty shit. Tell me exactly how hard you crushed it."

"Completely," Anna said. "Utterly and completely."

"That's my girl!" Elsa said.

Anna laughed. "So, you want to go out to eat to celebrate?"

"Actually, I was thinking about cooking something tonight," Elsa said. "As thanks for the gal who saved my ass on diff eq."

"Aw, you don't have to do that, Elsa," Anna replied. "But…I can't say no to that offer."

"Damn right, you can't," Elsa said proudly. "I just need you to pick up a few things at the store, and we'll be cooking, so to speak."

"Sure thing, Elsie," Anna said. "Lay it on me."

So Elsa listed off the items, confident in Anna's ability to write them down almost as fast as she could say them.

"Yeah, I can pick all those up," Anna said once the list was done. "You can count on me, hon."

Elsa laughed. "That one sounds like something a gas station clerk would say."

"Yeah," Anna admitted. "I'll keep working on it. Love you, see you soon!"

"Love you too," Elsa said happily. "Bye!"

She hung up the phone, them floated away to the bus stop. Anna's love buoyed her every step.

Love you. It took me months of dating to say that to Esme, and it ended up not even sticking. And yet, I'm already capable of saying it to her.

Because we're sisters, obviously. Christ, and you thought _she_ was going to get her wires crossed?

Yet, she knew it wasn't quite as simple as that. The question gnawed at her: how much of that love is from being sisters, and how much is from being girlfriends?

Well, I guess it doesn't matter. Because we're both.


	20. Chapter 20: Love Bites

**Chapter twenty**

**Love bites**

"Anna," Elsa said, panting heavily. "Please…"

Anna looked at Elsa. Her face was red, and she seemed to be having a hard time keeping up. "Sorry," she said, slowing her pace accordingly. "Let's take a break."

Thankful for the reprieve, Elsa slowed to a halt, leaning against a nearby tree. "Christ, Anna," she said between deep gulps of air. "Not everyone's a track star, you know."

Anna chuckled, looking off into the lake. "You could've said something earlier," she said.

Elsa looked at her, pulling her eyes away from Anna's track shorts. "I was…enjoying the view," she said, a little sheepishly.

"Really," Anna said, chuckling. "Well, my view was all the worse for it."

"Yeah?" Elsa said, grinning. "Well, I know how to fix that." She took Anna's hand in her own, clasping it firmly. "There, now we both have the same pace, and the same view."

The tingles shot up Anna's arm. "That works," she managed.

The girls resumed their walk, a good deal slower this time. Elsa oscillated between staring lovingly at Anna and at the beautiful park that surrounded them, bathed in the evening glow. Anna didn't bother much with the latter. She'd jogged around this footpath more times than she could count, in the morning's glow rather than the evening's, which wasn't much of a difference. But that was just about the only thing familiar about this situation.

My first real date with Elsa. No more pretending, no more caveats – a real, genuine date with Elsa Arendelle.

For all that her fake dates had taught her, she didn't feel any less nervous on this one. Was she just supposed to do exactly the same thing as she had on the fake dates? Obviously not – _something_ was clearly different. So should she lean more towards her dates with Hans? That didn't sound right either. Should she talk about more intimate things than they had already been discussing, or would that be weird?

She turned to look at Elsa for guidance. Without saying a word, she received it.

Elsa's eyes were half-closed. Her breathing, just now heavy and irregular, had slowed. Noticing Anna's glance, she looked at her and smiled encouragingly. She didn't appear to be embroiled in any crisis, she was just walking.

Maybe I should just do that.

She slowed her mind to a halt. All the plans, the anticipated conversations, everything was shut off, save for the essentials: breathing, walking, and holding Elsa's hand. She closed her eyes, trusting her sister and her memory to steer her true. Her heart rate slowed to resting, and she felt peaceful.

Boy, Elsa knows how to relax, doesn't she?

That was one of many things she envied about her sister. Elsa was always better at slowing down. She knew how to stop and smell the roses. Meanwhile, one of the main reasons Anna had gotten into track was that she just couldn't stand still.

Maybe Elsa can teach me how. After all, we'll be together for quite a long while. It wouldn't do for me to-

Her foot stepped off the path. She stumbled for a moment, but Elsa's grip caught her. She opened her eyes and looked at Elsa, who had a guilty smile on her face.

"Did you just guide me off the path?" Anna asked.

"Sorry," Elsa said, chuckling. "Saw your eyes were closed, just couldn't resist."

"You asshole," Anna said, playfully slugging her on the shoulder.

"Yep, that's me," Elsa chuckled. Her laughter was so melodious and cute, it washed away any feeble attempt Anna made to stay angry.

"So is that sister shenanigans, or girlfriend shenanigans?" Anna asked.

"Pfft, you kidding? Girlfriend shenanigans don't start until the third or fourth date, at least," Elsa said.

"Heh, lucky me, then, I guess," Anna said.

Elsa threw an arm around Anna and kissed the top of her head. "Yeah," she said softly. "Lucky you."

Elsa rubbed her hand up and down Anna's side, and it felt amazing. And Anna didn't have to ask whether this one was as a sister or a girlfriend.

xxxxxxx

At the halfway point around the lake, a familiar bench came into view. Anna nudged Elsa. "You wanna take a break?" she asked.

Elsa, red-faced again, hopped onto the bench. "Thought you'd never ask," she said, panting.

Anna raised her eyebrows. "We were just walking that time," she said.

"Didn't I tell you?" Elsa said to her. "I'm fat."

Anna sat down next to her, smiling. "I told you, you're not fat," she said, placing her hand atop Elsa's.

"Well, I'm not you, either," she said, her breathing returning to normal.

"Yeah, I know," Anna said. "More's the pity."

Elsa chuckled. "Indeed."

She stared out ahead at the beautiful panorama before them. The setting sun bathed both the sky and its reflection in a beautiful peach-colored tint.

"So beautiful," Elsa breathed. "You sure know how to pick 'em, sis."

Anna smiled. She placed a hand on Elsa's cheek and turned her head to face her. "I sure do," she said warmly.

She looked around nervously. "Look, Elsa, I know what we said about PDAs, but…there's nobody else around here, and-"

Elsa didn't even bother answering. Not with words, anyway.

The kiss was, once again, long and sweet, though this time the sweetness was tempered by the salty tang of the rivulets of sweat pouring down Elsa's face. But that was no deterrent – even without any lipstick, the taste of Elsa was like ambrosia.

And yet, she wanted more. Though her apprehension of going beyond the milestones she had previously reached had held her in check so far, her hunger for Elsa was growing stronger every day. It seemed clear that Elsa would be comfortable with whatever step she took next, but that only served to put a greater onus on her, to figure out what _she_ would be comfortable with before she did it. And it wasn't like she had a roadmap for any of this – trying to look into incest online usually just turned up porn with hokey acting. She was flying blind.

So she took a leap.

She broke off from the kiss, then moved her head down towards Elsa's neck. Finding a soft spot, she placed her mouth upon it.

Elsa gasped, and for a moment, Anna was worried she'd done it wrong, but her subsequent moan of pleasure reassured her. Anna sucked, using her teeth to apply the slightest of pressure.

Her skin tingled. She'd never done anything like this before, never even considered it until a few days ago. When she had first looked into it, she had no clue why anyone would do such a thing. Now, being here and listening to the noises she was teasing out of Elsa, she understood.

Elsa's arms reached, grabbed, embraced. She drew Anna's trembling body in closer, trying to do what she could to rebalance the asymmetric display of affection, yet not daring to surpass it. "Anna," she moaned. "Anna."

Anna blushed. Hearing Elsa's low and primal voice heightened her own arousal. She felt her center stirring, in a way that suggested anticipation for more to come. Knowing she could go no further at this time and place, she quelled her excitement, feeling intense disappointment at her own restraint.

Eventually, Anna pulled away, if only to quell her rising embarrassment. She looked up at her sister, a tentative smile on her own face and a broad smile on Elsa's. Elsa was breathing more heavily than she had at any point in her walk.

"Did I…do well?" she asked.

Elsa laughed. "You did great."

Anna let out a relieved chuckle, feeling stupid for even asking.

She looked down at Elsa's collarbone, where a red spot was already forming. "You can…probably…cover that with your braid," she mumbled.

Elsa chortled. She tossed her braid over to her other shoulder, as far from the hickey as possible.

"Well, I'm not gonna."

xxxxxxx

Anna plucked a bottle of water from the fridge. She gulped about a third of the bottle down, sighing in relief. She turned around. "Hey, Elsa, want some…"

She trailed off. Elsa was at the sink, drinking directly from the faucet. Upon hearing her name, she stopped drinking and turned to face her. "What'd you say?" she asked, wiping a hand across her mouth.

"Oh, nothing," Anna said. The two returned to their chosen methods of hydration.

After drinking her fill, Elsa turned away from the sink again, leaning against the counter. "That was a lot of fun," she said to Anna. "Great idea."

"Thanks," Anna said. "I wanted to make it unique. It isn't every day you get to have your second first date with someone."

"Very true," Elsa said. "Though, for future reference, that wouldn't be a good actual first date. Not a lot of opportunities to talk."

Anna raised an eyebrow. "Future reference? You got a third persona you're planning on pulling out?"

"No, just…" She shrugged. "I don't know. I'm still in teacher mode, I guess."

"Fair enough," Anna said.

Elsa yawned. "Man, I am beat! I think I might hit the rack soon."

"I could, too," Anna said, checking her watch. "You wanna sleep with me?"

Elsa raised an eyebrow.

"I mean!" Anna said, backpedaling hastily, "Just in the same bed, you know? Not like, in that way, just…just…" She struggled for the right words.

"I get it," Elsa said, throwing her a lifeline. "There are other connotations to that word than the obvious, and I would be happy to sleep with you."

"Great," Anna said, taking another drink of water.

"So, do you want to be the big spoon or the little spoon?"

Anna spat out her drink.


	21. Chapter 21: A base too far

**Chapter twenty-one**

**A base too far**

Anna didn't know if she'd even be able to get to sleep. But at least she was happy.

Anna lay still, awake but not moving, in her bed. Elsa's arms were wrapped around her waist, and her face was buried in Anna's hair. She was asleep. Anna didn't understand how she could be.

Context was everything. This was obviously not the first time she'd shared a bed with Elsa – hell, it wasn't even the first time this month. But now that she was her girlfriend, it resulted in sensory overload – literally, every sense of hers but sight was overwhelmed by Elsa. She supposed it didn't matter much, since she had no exams tomorrow, but at this moment, sleep was the absolute last thing on her mind.

She'd changed into another set of underwear before getting into bed, because her previous set was too damp with sweat. But now, lying here, she still felt wet.

Her brain told her to calm down, slow down. She should feel lucky that she'd gotten this far with Elsa in such a short time. But her body still craved more. Elsa's affection for her had nurtured her sex drive, and it had only grown stronger and stronger. She found herself wanting to do things that she had never even thought of before.

To be honest, it was a little frightening how fast things were going. Just as Elsa had said, this was all new ground for her, and here she was, charging forward with no seatbelt. Lying here, wrapped in her sister's embrace, her body still demanded she do more, more, _more_.

Slowly, her hand reached downward, towards her panties. Maybe just a quick one, she thought. I'm already halfway there. But the shift was still noticed by an unconscious Elsa, who tightened her grip, pulling Anna in. She abandoned that course of action, the tightened snuggle almost enough to satisfy her bodily desires.

Well, if she reacted to that, she'll definitely react to…_that_.

At last, her brain had some ammunition to veto her body's requests: can't move, you'll wake Elsa. Her body, thus rebuffed, relaxed, which was the first sign Anna noticed that it had been tensed to begin with. And with this conflict resolved, at last her exhaustion took over. Her eyes drifted shit, and her last lucid thought was of Elsa's arms, wrapped around her chest.

There's my seatbelt. I'm wearing it right now.

xxxxxxx

It was another evening, another date. Or was it a date? Elsa couldn't say for sure.

They were on the couch together, draped arm in arm. Elsa was browsing on her laptop while Anna watched Property Brothers. Every now and then, one of them would plant a kiss on the other, but never go beyond that. In most circles, that would constitute a date – but then, they were already pretty far from most circles.

Her attention divided threefold, Elsa was having a hard time concentrating on her computer. She cycled through a few different social media sites, gaining less useful information with each pass. Far less information than the sensory feedback she was getting from holding Anna. It was the best kind of problem to have.

"Hey, Els?" Anna said after a while.

"Hmm?" Elsa said.

"I was thinking," she said.

Elsa nodded. "You do that a lot," she noted.

"So, our next date will probably be next week, after my graduation," she said.

Elsa scratched the back of her head. "Man, that thing really snuck up on us, didn't it?"

Anna nodded. "So I've been thinking of something new to do. You went with me on a walk, so I'd like to return the favor."

Elsa arched an eyebrow. "How so?"

"Well, you still go to the gym pretty often, right?"

She chuckled guiltily. "Not as often as I should," she admitted. "But, maybe if I had a cute gym partner to show the ropes to, I'd have a good enough motivation to make it there."

"Cute partner, huh?" Anna said. "Well, I could be one of those things."

Elsa ruffled her hair. "You're already both of those things," she said.

Anna giggled adorably. Elsa returned to browsing, switching to her email.

She saw she'd received a new email, and she stiffened. She recognized the address immediately, and the subject line contained the phrase she'd learned to dread.

Anna noticed the change. "Are you okay?" she asked worriedly.

Elsa panted to the email as her response. Anna read the subject.

"Your Differential Equations test results are posted online." She looked at Elsa. "Don't be afraid," she said, resting her hand on her sister's. "You said you nailed it, right? I have faith in you."

Elsa swallowed. "That makes one of us," she said with a weak smile.

She had known the results would be in this week, but she still found herself wishing it had taken longer. She had done her best to ignore the tension, silently hoping that somehow the results would never come in, but now they had. Now it was time to find out if even Anna's help was enough to save her.

Anna squeezed her hand. "You've got this," she asserted. "Do you want me to look away for this?"

"No, no," Elsa said, opening the email. "You'd find out anyway." She took a deep breath before clicking on the link. Her heart rate accelerated as the page loaded.

Anna placed her other hand on Elsa's back. "You've got this, you've got this," she said, but she seemed tense as well.

Finally, after what felt like an hour, the page loaded. Elsa swallowed. She and Anna read the number together.

"…87%!" Anna exclaimed. Elsa stared at the screen, not believing what she was seeing. Anna wrapped her arms around her. "You did it, Elsa! You did it!" she shouted.

Relief washed over Elsa's body, like a wave rushing over a beach. Her stiff shoulders slacked, and her entire body sagged. She collapsed into Anna's arms, a tear falling from her eye. "I did it," she croaked. "Finally."

"I knew you could it!" Anna said, squeezing her tightly. "I could tell during our study sessions – you really understood the stuff!"

Elsa looked into her eyes. "Thank you," she said, her voice emotional. "Thank you so much, Anna. I owe it all to you."

"I helped," Anna said modestly. "You still had to figure it out yourself, you put in the hard-"

"I owe it _all _to you," Elsa repeated. "I couldn't have done it without you, not even close. You're amazing."

Anna attempted to protest, but something in Elsa's voice stopped her. It was raw, emotional, and filled with adoration and love. Both kinds of love.

Anna stroked her hair, her fingers gliding through the silvery ocean. "Anything for my girlfriend, and my sister," she said. "Anything."

xxxxxxx

They tried to go back to their previous positions, but they couldn't. Though Elsa returned to her computer, and Anna looked back at the TV, something was different. The atmosphere had shifted, and they both felt the change. What had just been a casual night now felt full of energy, charged by their emotional exchange. Elsa's arm around Anna's shoulders tingled, wishing to explore further. She pulled Anna closer in, rubbing up and down her arm.

She couldn't have said who initiated the kiss this time. One minute they were sitting there, side by side, and the next minute, their mouths were intertwined. Elsa had just enough presence of mind left to close her laptop and place it on the floor before her hands snapped to Anna's body. She didn't think she'd ever get used to this feeling.

Their positions slowly changed. Elsa, gaining confidence, slowly leaned in. Anna turned to face her, then leaned back in sync. Gently, her head touched the soft armrest, then sank into it. Elsa shifted to allow Anna to pull her legs onto the sofa, then straddled her.

Elsa pulled back for just a moment to view the beautiful tableau laid out in front of her. Her baby sister, stretched out on the sofa beneath her, was radiant. Though fully clothed, her body glowed with sexual energy. She lay there, panting from their exchange, with a look of adoration, but also of faint impatience, as if asking why she had stopped their very important task at hand. So it was only for a moment that she watched from afar, before diving back in, re-engaging their kiss and being rewarded with a close-up view of the object of her desire, close enough to count her freckles.

In the past, it was her who had often been lying against the sofa or bed, while her more experienced girlfriends took the wheel. But now she was in command of the situation, and Anna was putty in her hands. Realizing that she was the one in control intoxicated her, and she decided that she wanted more. So she reached a hand down, under Anna's shirt.

Anna froze, her body going stiff as a board. Her eyes shot open, and an expression of panic flitted across them for a second.

Elsa felt the change immediately, and it chilled her to the bone. In an instant, she broke off the kiss and withdrew her hand, pulling back from Anna and retreating to the other end of the sofa. Unsure of whether to say "I'm sorry" or "What's wrong?" first, she elected to stay silent and wait for Anna to talk.

A few seconds passed with neither girl saying anything, each frozen in place for different reasons. Then, as Anna's breath returned to her, her composure did the same. Her tense body slacked, and she blinked twice, the look of panic gone from her eyes. She swallowed the saliva that had been accumulating in her mouth. "Sorry," she said.

"What…happened?" Elsa asked, releasing her tight grip on the opposing armrest. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, no, it's fine," Anna said. "It's nothing."

She beckoned for Elsa to come back, but Elsa wasn't having it. "That wasn't nothing," she insisted.

Anna sighed. "It wasn't your fault, it was mine. It's just…" She took a deep breath. "What you just did…Hans did to me. Twice."

A flood of contradictory emotions hit Elsa. "I…see," she said, remaining neutral in tone.

Anna seemed uncomfortable, but she continued. "This was a few weeks before I dumped him, right when I was starting to see him for what he really was. He tried it once at a movie theater, but I slapped him away. He…got farther the second time." She looked down. "That was the last time I let him touch me."

Anger flushed Elsa's cheeks. "I let him off too easily," she said, scowling. "I should've broken his slimy little fingers." She looked at her own fingers, a tinge of guilt entering her expression.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have reacted that way," Anna said placatively. "You're not him. The fact that you pulled back just now proves that. The feeling just brought back memories, that's all. It was my fault."

Elsa shook her head. "No, it's mine. I should've asked by now if there was anything he did to you that you wouldn't want me to do." She hung her head. The same feeling of control that she had relished just a moment prior now curved back on her, stabbing her with a pang of guilt.

"It's fine, Elsa, really," Anna said, reaching forward. "It was just a stupid reflex, it won't happen again."

Elsa avoided taking her hand. "I should be the one promising you that it won't happen again. I don't ever want to make you feel that way ever again." She stood up. "We've done enough for tonight, anyway. We should get to bed."

Anna hesitated for a moment, then stood up as well. "Okay," she said. Her body language conveyed disappointment, but she mustered a smile. "Good night, then, Elsa."

She leaned forward, but Elsa turned her head. The kiss landed on her cheek, chaste and sisterly. "Good night," she said, trying on her best reassuring smile.

As she climbed the stairs and headed to her bedroom, conflicting emotions savaged her again, both shame at her causing this situation and relief that she had managed to de-escalate the situation shortly after.

You thought that was the moment you'd been fearing for weeks now, didn't you? The moment where she's suddenly repulsed by what you've been doing to her.

It was an irrational fear, moreso with each passing day. Anna seemed to be fully on board with everything she was doing – hell, she had a reminder of that on her neck right now. But it was clear now that just because Anna was on board, that didn't mean she couldn't get hurt. That fact should've been clear from the start, except Elsa had let her paranoia for the opposite outcome cloud her judgment.

Besides, even if Anna is 100% on board…I'm not sure if I am.

She winced. It was a moral debate that she'd been able to stave off so far. She had been wanting this for a while, now, and it seemed to be making Anna happy. But obviously, just because they were both happy didn't mean it was _right_. And now, she'd just been served a grim reminder that physical intimacy could drag some nasty feelings to the surface, if by complete accident.

Being Anna's girlfriend means that I _will_ cause her pain sometimes. There's no question about that. And sisters can't break up, but girlfriends can. Girlfriends do.

These fears and anxieties swirled around in her head as she brushed her teeth, not quieting as she put on her pajamas and only growing louder as she laid down in her bed. Remembering the feeling of Anna's rigid body, scared and repulsed, if only by a memory, made her shudder.

We've been going too fast, that's the first problem. She took a big step forward on our walk, and I took another big one today. This one was too far. I let my guard down for a moment, and she got hurt because of it. We'll have to slow down. No more pushing boundaries until we both fully understand where they are. If I'm in control here, that means it's my responsibility to know when to slow down, and when to stop.

Her decision felt like the right one, satisfying the most scathing voices in her head and only upsetting her libido. Sleep, while still far off, was incipient. She couldn't silence all of her concerns, but she'd gotten good at working around them at this point. But just when she let her guard down, a new realization hit her, one not as hostile as the others, but just as terrifying.

_That was the last time I let him touch me._ That's what she said. Meaning that's as far as they went. Meaning if we go any further, whatever we do, it'll be the first time for Anna.

So far, all of Anna's firsts had been taken by Hans, which sucked. Elsa had felt little guilt in reclaiming those moments for her. But now, they would be breaking new ground going forward. Each new first Anna experienced would be with her. All of the new feelings and emotions would permanently be associated with her. Her sister.

And each time, her chances of ever having a normal relationship after Elsa would get smaller and smaller.

Which might be what she wanted now, but who's to say it would stay that way forever? Should she not have at least the option to live a normal life? Well, if things keep going the way they have been, she won't.

And it'll be my responsibility. My doing. My fault.


	22. Chapter 22: The best

**Chapter twenty two**

**The best**

"Zeke Yelinek," the MC said. Onstage, a gangly blond boy stepped forward and received his diploma. He shook hands with the man who gave it to him, then walked offstage and joined the rest of the class of 2019.

The crowded auditorium applauded, all the attending parents and siblings celebrating the last wave of graduates. Elsa was sitting near the front, and though her attention had been waning for the last 20 minutes or so, she perked up now. She knew what was coming next.

"And now," the MC said, "the class valedictorian will deliver a speech for the class of 2019." He stepped away from the podium, taking a spot on the side of the stage and clasping his hands in front of him.

The audience applauded again as Anna stepped back up onto the stage, almost stumbling as she climbed the steps but recovering in time. Elsa clapped vigorously, and Anna shot her a quick grin as she approached the podium.

She adjusted the microphone down from where the tall MC had had it, and pulled out the notes that Elsa knew she would hardly even need to glance at and set them on the podium. She looked out at the hundreds of assembled people and spoke without fear.

"Class of 2019," she began. "How are you feeling right now? Excited? Nervous? Scared? Me, I'm pretty darn terrified." She flashed a charismatic grin. "And I know what you're thinking – if the valedictorian is scared, what hope does everyone else have?" A good-natured chuckle rippled through the auditorium. "But it's true, I'm nervous for the future. I think everyone is – how could we not be? Some of us are moving on to college, some are going straight to work, but we're all leaving our comfort zones. We're setting out from what we've known for twelve long years, and moving into Terra Incognita.

"And that's okay," she continued. "For as long as humans have lived, we've always feared the unknown. And yet, time after time, we venture into it. European explorers sent ship after ship across the Atlantic, despite having no idea what was out there. Eventually, they found America – after some of them got eaten by sea monsters, of course." Another chuckle. Anna leaned into the mic. "Just kidding, Ms. Buchanan – I know there weren't really sea monsters, I promise." The audience laughed again, and the social studies teacher smiled at her.

"So let's get out there. Break some boundaries. Sail out into the unknown and see what we can find." She looked across the whole auditorium as she spoke, but now she was looking directly at Elsa. "Even though it's scary. Even though we're doing things we'd never even thought we could do. Even though we make choices we can never go back on. Because we can. We can, and we should. So…what are we waiting for?"

She extended her arms in a broad, sweeping motion as she finished her speech. The auditorium exploded into applause. Elsa clapped harder than anyone else there, and she flashed a huge smile at Anna, who beamed back at her.

The sound of applause emanated from the tablet in the seat next to her, as well, and Elsa had to fight to keep her lip from curling.

Her parents looked the same as they always had. Her mom's dark hair and her dad's blond hair were just visible under their hats, and they wore matching BDUs. They were clapping vigorously. Anna seemed happy to see them. That was nice, at least.

"Well said, Anna Arendelle," the MC said, having stepped back up to the podium as Anna left it. "Let's give one more round of applause to our valedictorian!"

The applause started up again, but now that her parents had caught her notice, that was all Elsa could think of. The applause had a kind of cadence to it, a four-syllable beat, and Elsa's mind generated words to go along with it.

You should be here. You should be here. You should be here.

xxxxxxx

Eventually, the ceremonies concluded. The class of 2019 filed out, leaving in groups so as not to flood the exits. Elsa made her way towards Anna, carrying their parents with her. Anna saw her coming and pushed through the crowd, the two meeting in the middle and stepping aside to an empty space.

"Hey, Elsa," she said, giving her a quick hug. "Hey, mom, hey dad!"

"Congratulations, sweetie!" her mom said. "You had an excellent speech!"

"We're so proud of you," her dad added.

"Group hug!" Anna shouted, opening her arms wide. Elsa held the tablet to her chest with one arm, and wrapped the other around her sister. It was a good hug, really, except for that tablet in the middle.

"So, how have you two been?" Anna asked once their hug was over.

"We've been pretty good," their mom said. "They've got us working around the clock here. There's never enough hands, but we do enjoy the work."

I'll say you do, thought Elsa.

"It's just a shame we couldn't be there with you today," their dad said. "But we're trying as hard as we can to get back home as soon as possible, both of us."

That's a lie. That's a damned lie.

Anna looked pained, but quickly ushered the look off her face. "It's fine," she said. "I know you two are fighting the good fight."

And still, she forgives you for it. I hope you two realize how fucking lucky you are for that.

"But we definitely will be home for Christmas, maybe Thanksgiving as well," their mom said. "We at least have enough say in the matter for that."

"All right!" Anna said. Elsa still had nothing to say to them.

The crowd had thinned, and the procession of newly graduated students was in motion. "I think they want a big group picture outside," Anna said. "So I gotta go, but I'll be right back, I promise!"

"That's okay, honey," their mom said. "We wanted to speak to Elsa in private, anyway."

Elsa felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, the kind you feel when you know you've broken the rules and you have no reason to suspect you've been caught, but every seemingly innocuous comment feels like it could be them toying with you. "Sure," she said. Anna began to walk away.

"Be sure to send us that photo as soon as you can!" their dad called. Anna nodded in assent, them waved goodbye.

Elsa walked back to her seat and sat down, holding the tablet at arm's length. "So, what is it?" she asked.

The two looked at each other, before her dad spoke up. "Anna told us about Hans, and what you did to him."

Elsa breathed an internal sigh of relief. "So, you gonna chastise me for being too violent?" she asked.

"Not at all," her mom said. "It sounds like he was a piece of shit and you took care of it."

"He was," Elsa said. "And I did."

"Well, we're proud of you," her dad said. "Anna's so lucky to have you as a sister."

Their compliments did nothing to sway her attitude. "That's what family is for," she said. "Whenever she needs help, I'm here for her." Emphasis on_ here_.

The message was not lost on them, and they ducked their heads guiltily. Her dad spoke up. "We understand how you feel, Elsa."

No, you _know_ how I feel. Big difference.

"It's hard, being apart for so long. It puts a strain on all of us. We're trying to change things, we really are. We know how much you love Anna-"

Oh, you wanna bet?

"-and you still feel like we abandoned her. We don't expect you to forgive us for that."

Good.

"But I'll tell you this," he continued. "We wouldn't have done what we did if we didn't trust you as completely as we do."

Now, suddenly, it was Elsa who felt a twinge of guilt. The voice in her head that had chastised her parents now turned inward on her.

Her mom chimed in. "Ever since you two were children, you've always kept an eye out for her, helped her when she needed it most, and showed her right from wrong."

Yeah, well these days I don't really know right from wrong that well myself. And we're still children, basically.

"There's nobody in this world that we'd trust more than you to look after her."

Another twinge.

"You've even suspended your college life to help take care of her," her dad added.

Elsa made a valiant effort to play her parents' words off. "Ah, I never had much of a college life to begin with," she said dismissively.

"Oh, come on, Elsa," her mom said knowingly. "You've already told us all about your many girlfriends."

Not all of them.

"To prioritize your sister over a girlfriend, that's what a good sister looks like."

Yeah? So what does it look like when I do the exact opposite of that? Twinge.

"Speaking of," her dad said, "Anna has mentioned that she thinks she's also a lesbian. I'm sure you helped her with that, too."

Yeah, you could say that.

Elsa passed off her cringe as a nod. "Yeah, I did," she said, wishing more than anything that this conversation would just _end_.

But they still had more rounds in their unintentional salvo. "It's good that she had you to help her with that. Questioning something so integral to her being, right when she was dealing with a breakup – it could've been so confusing for her."

Shut up, shut up! You don't deserve to make me feel this awful!

"She seems to have bounced back well, like she always does," her dad continued. "She'll find a girl who likes her, of that I have no doubt. And I'm also sure that if that girl breaks her heart, you'll deal with her just like you did with Hans."

It was a miracle that Elsa was still sitting up straight, with all the cringing she wanted to do. "No," she said. "I'll do much worse. If that girl causes Anna harm, I'll never let her live it down. Her life will be agony. She'll regret every lustful thought that ever entered her filthy little head."

And that's the stone cold truth.


	23. Chapter 23: Pace Yourself

**Chapter twenty-three**

**Pace yourself**

Anna struggled and strained, her face turning red. Slowly, she pushed the bar upwards, as the 25-lb weights on either side shook.

Elsa stood above her, hands encircling the bar without actively lifting it herself. "Calm down, Anna. We can reduce the weight, if you need to."

"No! I've got it!" she said in a strained voice. "Fuck…"

After what must've felt like an eternity for her, at last she straightened her arms, holding the bar above her horizontal body. "Four!" she declared triumphantly.

"Okay, let's take a break," Elsa said, hastily and effortlessly moving the bar back to its supports. Anna attempted to protest, but didn't seem to have the breath for it.

"Seriously, Anna. I appreciate your drive, but 95 pounds is a lot for your first attempt," Elsa said worriedly.

"I was getting used to it," Anna said defensively.

"You were getting a hernia," Elsa said, removing the 25s and racking them. "I think you'd do better to start at 65."

"Just the 10 pound weights? That'll look so pathetic," Anna protested.

"It won't," Elsa promised. "Everyone starts somewhere, nobody will judge you. And if they do, they'll soon be kissing that mirror." She pointed at the full-wall mirror, smacking her fist for emphasis.

"Well…okay," Anna said. She put one of the weights on the bar, while Elsa added the other. Per Elsa's advice, she took a short break before going back to lifting.

She took the new weight a lot better. Her arms weren't shaking at all on her first few lifts, and her face retained its natural color. Looking down at her body, Elsa observed that her breathing was regular, measured.

Uh-huh. That was what she was looking at. Her breathing. Nothing else.

Her own bashfulness exasperated her.

For fucks sale, one little scare makes you regress this far? Just look at her damn tits before your head explodes!

So she did just that. She was wearing her jogging shorts and a bright red sports bra, both of which fit her like a goddamn glove. A glance at her face confirmed that Anna was also looking at _her_ chest, earning her a smirk and a blush.

"There," Elsa said when Anna's set was done, astonished that she had retained the ability to count to ten. "Much easier, yeah?"

Anna nodded as she sat up. "Almost too easy," she said. "Barely felt the strain at all."

"Well, this is just the first set," Elsa pointed out. "Talk to me after nine more."

Anna grinned impishly. "That sounds like a challenge to me!" She laid back down and launched into her second set, thrusting the bar upward with gusto.

"Easy, easy," Elsa cautioned. "It's not a race."

Her form degraded as she continued, and her last rep ended sloppily, with the bar barely lowering before she lifted it again. "I guess I did that one wrong," she panted.

Elsa chuckled. "Here, I'll help you with the next set," she said. She moved her hands inward on the bar, so they were nearly touching Anna's. "Just follow the pace that my voice sets."

Anna smiled, pleased by the dulcet tones her voice had entered. "As you wish, Teach," she said.

She lifted the bar off the stand again. Elsa tightened her grip on the bar slightly, the spotter now a guide. "Down, up, down, up," she said, speaking softly and rhythmically.

Anna's arms slowed their trembling, and her breathing decelerated, syncing up with the motions. She closed her eyes, and though she was still struggling, her duress was greatly reduced.

At the conclusion of the set, Anna's eyes flew open. "Was that better?" she asked, setting the bar down.

"Much better," Elsa said, her voice still low.

"Mm, I love it when you do that with your voice," Anna said, drawing her arms into her chest in delight.

Elsa smiled. "Why, whatever could you mean?" she intoned.

Anna giggled. "That voice makes me so happy," she said. "Makes me feel warm and fuzzy, like everything's gonna be okay."

"Thanks," Elsa replied. "I started doing it when you started asking me to sing you lullabies, when you were about eight."

"Oh yeah, I remember," Anna said. She raised the pitch of her voice. "Oh, Elsa, could you sing me a lullaby tonight? Pretty please?" she said, mimicking her pre-pubescent voice. "God, I was such a goober." She looked up at her sister. "Hey, Elsa? Everything all right?"

Elsa roused herself. "Yeah, I'm fine," she said. "I'm fine."

She'd just had a vivid recollection of herself standing over an eight-year old Anna, wrapped in her fuzzy blankie, drifting off to sleep. It hadn't been all that long ago, really, when she thought about it. And that was the same girl that she'd just been ogling.

She shook her head, and brought herself back to the present. The Anna lying out in front of her was eighteen, and not eight, and therefore an adult, and therefore it was not the least bit weird to be lusting after her, except for the part where she was her sister, of course.

"Earth to Elsa, what's going on up there?" Anna asked.

"Next set!" Elsa blurted out. Anna obediently lifted the bar again, and Elsa found that the easiest way to resolve the conflicting feelings in her head was to stare straight ahead and try very hard to think of nothing at all.

xxxxxxx

"I thought we were just doing arms today," Anna said.

"Normally, you would," Elsa said, walking toward the leg machines. "But since it's your first day here, I thought I'd show you a little bit of everything."

Anna shrugged. "Fuck it, I'll try."

They walked up to a line of machines facing the wall, chairs with pads next to the legs. "This one is called a hip abductor," Elsa explained. "You press your outer thighs against the pads, and push outwards, like this, see?" She demonstrated with her hands.

Anna stared at the device. "It's a leg-spreading machine!" she blurted out.

The comment caught Elsa off-guard. "Uh…yeah, I guess you could say that. It works your inner thigh muscles."

Anna grinned. "Heh. Could always use more of those, couldn't I?" she said.

"Um, sure," Elsa said, realizing that she might have made a tactical error. "If you feel uncomfortable with this one, we could try leg lifts instead."

"No, I'm cool with it," Anna said, not a hint of a blush on her face. She sat in the chair. "I'll let you pick the weight for this one. I really have no idea how strong my thighs are."

Ten different responses to this statement entered her head. Wisely, she kept her mouth shut. She set the weight at 100 lbs and motioned for her to start.

Anna pushed her legs apart. "Ooh, yeah, I can feel that stretch," she remarked.

"It takes a couple of sets to get used to," Elsa said.

A few sets and a series of unladylike grunts later, she definitely seemed to be getting the hang of things. "I bet I'll be feeling this one tomorrow," she commented.

"Oh, definitely," Elsa said, standing behind her.

Anna turned her head to look at Elsa. "Am I spreading my legs far enough?" she asked.

Elsa glanced down at her legs. "Yeah, you got it."

Anna chuckled. "You can't see from there," she chided. "Come around and look for real. I want to make sure I'm doing it right."

_"Oh, don't worry, you'll know when you're doing it right."_

_"With your legs, I'm sure you've got this."_

_"Not now. When we get home, I'll look at your legs all you want, okay?"_

_"It's just leg spreading, Anna. It's not that difficult!"_

Reviewing her options for rebuttal, Elsa again elected to stay silent and acquiesce. She stepped in front of Anna – front row seats, as it were.

Anna opened and closed her legs rhythmically, in a motion Elsa found hard not to stare at. A few beads of sweat trickled down her face and legs, but otherwise, she looked comfortable as could be. She was looking right at Elsa, making direct eye contact, and she bore a devilish grin. Hey face was slightly red, but Elsa was willing to bet dollars to donuts that it was all from exertion, and not a blush.

Geez, Anna, I remember when you used to blush when you saw me in a swimsuit! What happened?

It was a question with an obvious answer, but realizing it still hit her like a brick.

I happened.

Belle had done something similar to her, but it wasn't the same. She had never been truly that innocent, just repressed. Belle dating her had mostly just taken the handcuffs off. But Anna…she was different. Had been, anyway. She was pure and innocent, like a snowflake. She hadn't even used a single swear word until age 14, and even then she'd rationed them out sparingly. Hans hadn't broken that innocence, but she had. In the course of only a month, too – that must be some kind of record.

"Ten," Anna declared. This time, Elsa was paying close enough attention to look up at her in response and smile. "So, how was my form?"

"It was good. Very good," Elsa said. Anna snickered, and Elsa realized the double entendre. "S-so, how are your legs feeling?"

Anna stepped out of the chair, stepping bow-legged as she walked away from it. "Like I'm not gonna be jogging tomorrow," she said.

"Yeah," Elsa answered guiltily. "I'd give it a few days. Eat some protein, you'll feel better in no time."

"Can do," Anna said. "So, what's next, squats?"

Oh, sweet mother of god, no. Do you want me to have an aneurysm?

"Maybe next time," she said. "I think you're pretty good, as far as…those muscles are concerned."

Anna flashed her devilish grin again. "Why, thank you, Elsa," she said. "Good to know you're keeping an eye on them."

At this point, Elsa was sweating far more than Anna.

"Okay, so what do you suggest?" Anna asked.

Elsa thought through all the different exercises they could try, filtering out any even remotely sensual ones. "Crunches," she decided. "Floor mats are on the far wall."

"All right," Anna said. "Lead the way, Teach. Unless you'd prefer the view from behind?" She wiggled her hips suggestively.

"I'll lead," she said hastily, heading for the mats.

Was I ever this much of an exhibitionist?

Not to Anna, that's for goddamn sure!

xxxxxxx

The car pulled into their driveway in the cool, crisp evening. Elsa hopped out of her seat, hauling their gym bag. Anna followed behind her.

"So, how'd you like the gym?" Elsa asked her.

"It was great," she said. "Very big, very clean. Though the showers were a little cold."

"Yeah, well…" Elsa opened the front door. "Sometimes that's nice to have."

They walked into the kitchen, and Elsa opened the pantry. "How are your muscles feeling?"

Anna tested her arms. "A little stiff, but not as bad as I thought I'd be."

"You'll be feeling it a whole lot more tomorrow," Elsa said, fishing out a tub of protein powder. "Get some milk. This stuff helps, but it tastes like shit if you take it with water."

She turned around, and nearly bumped right into Anna. "I don't need the calories," she said, draping her arms around Elsa's neck. "But I love how much you care."

Elsa almost dropped the powder, recovering just in time.

Hug your sister, idiot!

She wrapped her arms around Anna's waist, allowing the smell of a freshly showered Anna to wash away her anxieties for just a second. She allowed herself a kiss, as well - closed-mouth and brief, but on the lips. Anna, looking a little let down, released her from the hug.

"So, uh…" Anna said awkwardly, "How long do you think I should wait until I go lifting again?"

"A couple days, at least," Elsa said, thankful that the conversation was back in an area she was 100% comfortable with. "You said you'd help me with moving out of my dorm next Wednesday, right? You should be good by then."

"Okay," Anna said. She yawned, exhaustion finally catching up to her. "I'm gonna hit the hay. How about you?"

"I think I'll stay up for a little longer. Good night!" She gave Anna another kiss, a little longer this time. Anna smiled at her before heading upstairs.

Elsa sighed with relief. She had only just barely managed to keep that second kiss from turning into something more. She felt a little let down by her own cold feet, but also a little relieved. Things we going at a much more manageable pace now, one she was more comfortable with. She still hasn't managed to resolve her dilemma over whether or not it was 'right' to keep going with this, but she'd figure it out now. She had the time.

Just gotta pace myself, that's the trick. It only felt weird because we were going too fast. Now we'll have the chance to figure things out without all that pressure we had before. This will be good for both of us - Anna's changed so much this past month, I bet she could use a break more than I could. Patience. I just need to be patient.

xxxxxxx

God damnit, why did I have to freeze up like that?

Anna laid in her bed, looking up at the ceiling. Her hand ducked beneath the waistband of her pajamas, and she was rapidly approaching climax for the second time that day.

She'd woken up this morning thinking about Elsa and had to calm herself down. She'd tried to do the same at the showers, but the water temperature had impeded her. But every after the drive home, her mind blazed with the images of Elsa in her gym outfit, ignited by the tinder of their two kisses. It wasn't the first time she'd needed to go twice in one day – not even the first time this week. But, paradoxically, the less effort it took to arouse her, the more it was taking to excite Elsa.

Elsa was a great older sister. She was kind, considerate, and protective to a fault. Anna couldn't blame her for stopping herself cold after accidentally bringing back that memory of Hans – she appreciated it, in fact. But ever since then, she'd been talking things slow. Painfully, agonizingly slow.

Anna had explained to her several times that she was just fine now, that she was ready to go forward – and that was an understatement, if anything. But still, Elsa insisted on playing it safe regardless. It almost felt patronizing.

Elsa, my dear, I love that you care about my well-being, but can't you see that I'm about to explode?

Unless…she's having second thoughts about this?

She dismissed that idea summarily. This whole thing had been Elsa's idea, after all. And going from however often she used to have sex with her other girlfriends to not at all with her must be just as hard on Elsa as it was on her.

I shouldn't doubt her. She's so considerate. So kind. So…

She climaxed quietly, then sank back into the bed, now thoroughly exhausted. As sleep started to take hold of her, she looked at the wall that separated her room and Elsa's.

I wonder if, when she goes to bed, she'll do the same thing that I just did. If so…that's pretty damn ironic.

The mental image managed to arouse her again, in spite of her recent orgasm.

Goddamn, I want her. I want her so fucking bad.

She found herself wishing that Elsa would come through her door, but she knew it wouldn't happen. Elsa had made it clear that she wasn't going to rush Anna, no matter how much she might want it.

Which means it's up to me to make a move. Before I actually do explode.


	24. Chapter 24: Want this

**Chapter twenty-four**

**Want this**

Something had been off all day.

Without an alarm, Elsa didn't get up until about nine thirty. Anna had waited for her to wake up before getting breakfast, so they ate together. But while Elsa had been prepared for another barrage of sexual advances – and spent all her time in the shower deciding which ones she would indulge – breakfast was, for the most part, a silent affair. They munched on their cereal quietly, their longest conversation about that day's plans. She had seen an eager look in Anna's eyes, bordering on apprehensive, but her actions were tightly schooled. When she had kissed Elsa goodbye, it was her kissing Elsa on the cheek. Elsa couldn't have been more confused.

Her ability to stay in control and plan things out had gone down the shitter right around Elsa Schneider's third date, and it had been only chaos since. She had felt like she was gaining a little more control around the time of their mutual confessions, but now it was all gone again, into the black hole of uncertainty.

Was Anna's sexual drive cooling off? Had she taken her hint? Was she feeling upset that Elsa had turned the cold shoulder? Or was she just waiting? And if so, for what?

It was the sort of question that could pull at Elsa's mind all day. She was lucky her exams were all done, because the eight hours she spent on campus absolutely failed to register in her head. Her shoulders felt stiff enough to break a board across.

Something was going to happen today.

xxxxxxx

Dinner was a quiet affair. Elsa cooked spaghetti, and they ate in front of the TV. They were on either end of the couch, the middle cushion feeling a hundred feet long between them. Their hands were either at their forks or their laps, though Elsa still hadn't figured out why Anna was doing so.

"So, how was your day?" she asked Anna.

Anna looked at her. "Oh, it was good," she asserted. "Really good."

"That's nice," Elsa said.

She waited a good fifteen seconds for Anna to elaborate, but it seemed she wasn't going to.

"Is…something wrong?" Elsa prompted. "Something you'd like to talk about?"

"No, everything's fine," she said. "Is everything ok with you?"

"Yeah, yeah, it's all good," Elsa said.

The response came to her so fast, she felt a little guilty about it. It wasn't really a lie. Nothing was, strictly speaking, wrong. She was just contemplating some things, that was all – no need to worry Anna about it. Yet still, as the moment passed, a feeling in her gut told her that maybe she should've told her the whole truth.

It's fine. I'll work this out myself. She doesn't need me to stress her out with my baseless concerns.

A few more hours passed, with the television dutifully allowing the two of them to put off thinking about their swirling cocktails of emotions.

Eventually, Elsa yawned. "Well, I'm bushed," she said, noting the time of thirty minutes to midnight. "I think I'll turn in."

"All right," Anna said. "I'll be up in a few minutes."

"Good night, then," Elsa said, kissing her on the lips. "See you in the morning."

Anna smiled. "See you later," she said.

As Elsa climbed the stairs, she felt the tension in her body ease with each step.

Well, looks like I was worried for nothing, as usual. Nothing happened today, after all.

Once Elsa was all the way up the stairs, Anna let out a huge breath, and stopped suppressing her trembles.

"You can do this," she said to herself. "You can do this."

Trust yourself, trust Elsa. It'll work out fine.

xxxxxxx

Sleep would be a long time coming, Elsa knew. The uneventful day hadn't completely eased her anxiety – if the other shoe hadn't dropped today, that just meant it would happen tomorrow, or the next day. She couldn't avoid thinking about it, so she might as well plan for it.

If she agrees that we were going too fast, that's great. If she's mad at me for slowing down, we can work through that. If she's started to have second thoughts about the whole thing…well, at least I stopped myself before things went too far.

She was starting to regret not pressing things further with Anna – ambiguity wasn't doing either of them any good. Still, she was doing the best with the information she had at hand. Sorting through her feelings would take some time, too. This lull in their interactions should be just what she needed.

So absorbed was she in her thoughts that she didn't notice the door slowly opening. It was only once a sliver of light trickled in from the hallway that she noticed something was happening. She turned to look.

Anna was standing in the doorway. Still wearing her day clothes, she stood there, rocking back and forth ever so slightly, as if on a precipice.

Elsa sat up. "Anna? What's going on?" she asked. Anna said nothing. "Is something wrong?"

Anna shook her head, seemingly having made her mind up. She began to advance, walking towards the bed.

"Anna, you're scaring m-"

Anna kissed her, cutting off her sentence. A surprised yelp made it out of her mouth before Anna's tongue darted forward, and Elsa responded in kind.

Elsa felt herself heat up on a dime, the emotional whiplash only intensifying the feeling. Her concerns and fears also flared up, but at the moment she had no way of expressing them.

Anna moved forward as her kiss continued, gently pushing Elsa backwards. Elsa wrapped her arms around Anna's neck to stay on balance as she slowly reclined, until she was lying on her back. Anna stepped onto the bed, now straddling her sister.

Elsa took a deep breath to try and steady herself, but breathing in Anna's heady scent did nothing to calm her down. She kept her fingers intertwined around the back of her sister's neck, where they could do no damage.

Anna's hands were not so restrained. She placed her right hand on Elsa's waist, on the strip of exposed flesh between her pajama top and bottom. Then her hand snaked upward. Fast.

Elsa gasped as her sister's hand grabbed her breast. She squeezed it, shocking Elsa with her forwardness. With her left hand, she grabbed Elsa's right, and pulled it downwards, from her neck down to her own waist. Gently but firmly, she guided Elsa's hand under her own shorts.

Jesus fucking Christ!

Ice flooded through her spine as her fingers entered her sister. She was already wet – sopping wet. The realization hit Elsa in this moment.

This isn't just another make out, it's not even foreplay. She wants to go all the way, right here, right now!

Panic flushed through Elsa's body, flushing out the lust that Anna's hand and mouth had been building.

I can't do this now! I'm not ready. _We're_ not ready!

She pulled her hand back, then pushed against Anna's chest with her other hand. It wasn't a hard push, just a small, insistent nudge, but it conveyed the message quickly. Anna pulled away, breaking off her kiss. Her eyes were questioning, and a trace of disappointment was present on her face.

"I can't do this, Anna, not now. Not yet." The words tasted of bitter irony as they left her mouth – she had never even considered that she might have to use them.

Anna was totally confused. "Why?" she asked, her voice bordering on a whine. "Don't…don't you want this?"

"I do, Anna, I do. More than anything in this world," Elsa said. "But now just isn't the time for it."

"But I'm ready now," Anna insisted. "Isn't that what you've been waiting for?"

Her disappointment was now clear on her face. Elsa tried to think of how to best explain her misgivings, but she felt her own panic rising.

"Yes, but…not just that," Elsa said. "It has to be the right time for it, or else things could…end badly. I'm not sure it is yet."

"But I want to, and you want to," Anna said. "Why can't we do this now?"

Anna's pleading voice tugged at her heart, but she struggled to maintain her composure.

"This is different from everything we've done before," she said. "A point of no return. If we do this, there's no turning back. You'll never have the chance to have a…a normal relationship ever again."

"But that's what I want!" Anna insisted.

"You can't know that for sure yet! You've only dated one woman so far, and you're still a-"

Elsa felt a chill run through her body, realizing what she had been about to say. She bit down on the last word before it could leave her mouth, but it was too late. Anna understood exactly what the missing word had been.

Her features darkened, and anger sparked. "I'm not a child!" she shouted, verging on petulance.

"I didn't mean it like that," Elsa said, trying to do damage control. "I just meant that you're inexperienced, you're still figuring things out-"

"Oh, and you have it all figured out?" Anna said angrily.

"I don't!" Elsa insisted. "I haven't gotten any of this figured out - I'm just as unsure as you are! It's confusing for me, too, that's why I just need time to get my feelings in order, to make sure we're on the right path!"

Anna pulled back, as if slapped. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them.

"You mean…you're having second thoughts?" she said quietly.

"No!" Elsa said hastily. "Well…not really, just…concerns. I still want to do this, eventually, I think, I just need to make sure I know it's the right thing to do. N-not that I'm saying you're doing anything wrong, it's my fault, if anything, just…" She trailed off, seeing that her rambling wasn't making anything better. "Aren't you uncertain about any of this? Even a little?" she finished pitifully.

Anna looked her dead in the eyes. "No," she said. "Not even a little."

Elsa trembled. This wasn't anger anymore. It was worse.

"I love you, Elsa," she said. "I want to be with you, always. I want to hold you, and to have you hold me. And I want to _know_ you. I made my decision – I thought you already had." She sniffled. "You told me to tell you if I started having second thoughts, if any of this felt…not right." She looked at Elsa. "But you didn't tell me when _you_ started having second thoughts."

Anna's voice was cracking now. "I thought you respected me enough to share that with me."

"You're right, I should've," Elsa said quickly. "I wanted to resolve it by myself, if I could. I didn't want to…h-hurt you." She stopped herself when she realized just how pathetic that sounded.

Anna stood up. She smiled a pained, mirthless grimace. "Well…you didn't."

She turned and walked towards the door. Elsa sat up. "Wait, Anna, don't go, we can-"

"Don't," said Anna in a low, wavering voice. Her tone froze Elsa in her bed. "Don't follow me. I need…I need to think."

She swung the door shut. It clicked softly as it closed.

Elsa sat stock still in her bed, paralyzed.

I fucked it up. I fucked it all up.

Waves of despair and self-loathing washed over her, destroying the fragile confidence she had been building. Just like that, she had managed to destroy any chance of a relationship with her sister.

I need a fucking drink.

She clenched her fists, mustering what little strength she had.

No, what I _need_ is to talk to Anna. I have to explain myself, tell her everything I'm thinking, and apologize until I'm blue in the face. She may not want to hear it now, but she needs to. If I have any hope of salvaging things, that's how I'll do it.

Clinging to this purpose, she managed to get herself out of the bed and into the hall. She walked towards Anna's room, the door to which was also closed. She fought through her trepidation and knocked on the door.

"Anna?" she called. No reply. She knocked again, harder. "Anna, can I come in?" Still silence.

"Please, Anna, we need to talk. I'm sorry about what I said. Let me tell you everything."

Only silence answered her. She gathered her courage and tried the doorknob, finding it unlocked. That was at least promising. She opened it slowly, preparing for her sister's anger.

The room was empty.

Elsa flicked the light on and looked around just to make sure, but there was no sign of Anna anywhere.

It was then that she heard the car engine start.

Her heart sank. Frantically, she turned around and ran down the stairs, nearly tripping, and dashed to the front door. But by the time she made it outside, all she saw were the car's tail lights disappearing around a corner.

"Anna!" she cried out, uselessly. "Don't…don't…"

Her voice trailed off, fading into nothing. She stood there on the doorstep, staring off into the black night Anna had disappeared into.

Her legs trembled, and she collapsed on the doorstep, sobbing.


	25. Chapter 25: Not where I belong

**Chapter twenty-five**

**Not where I belong**

I'm gonna fucking crash.

The car drove through the night, headlights piercing through the relentless gloom. She could barely see through her tears, and she was sure she was going over the speed limit. When the harsh glow of a gas station loomed out of the darkness, Anna pulled into the parking lot. Once the car came to a stop, her body slumped, and she caught her head in her hands.

I read it wrong. Somehow, I read it all wrong. Usually I'm decent at reading people, but this blindsided me completely.

Why the fuck wouldn't she tell me she was having second thoughts about this? It's a kinda fucking important thing to mention! Maybe she was acting a little weird, but she gets jitters like that all the time, it usually doesn't mean anything!

She clenched her eyes shut, trying to force the tears out of them, but they lingered, stinging her eyes. The pain helped stoke her anger, even as her sadness fought for control.

There must be _something_ going on that I'm not getting. Why would she just change her mind and act like nothing's wrong?

Well, I guess I'll never know, will I, if she doesn't respect me enough to tell me these things!

Her phone beeped over and over with text notifications. No points for guessing who. She turned the volume down to zero.

Even as her anger smoldered, her body still ached for Elsa. She desperately wanted to be in her arms, even though she knew she wasn't wanted there. She couldn't go back, not yet.

So where _do_ I go?

Punzie's house? Eugene's? Go there and let them know how much of a pervert I am? I don't think so. And the only other address I know is…

No. No fucking way. No chance in hell. That's the one place I could go that'd make things worse.

So what's left? I'm alone in the middle of the night, with nobody to hold me. Where do normal people go in that situation?

Then she remembered something Elsa had said – a mention of where _she_ had gone after her first breakup.

Just the idea of it was crazy – even in her current state, she still blushed. But…why the fuck not, at this point?

She checked her wallet. The gas station could break a twenty for her, they probably had enough small bills.

A month ago, she never would've even considered this. But things had changed. Oh, how things had changed.

Her mind made up, she pulled out her phone, booted up her GPS, and typed in the two words she'd never thought she would ever search for.

xxxxxxx

The music was loud. Good. All the better to drown out her thoughts.

Dubstep thundered out of speakers all around the building. The only overhead lighting was tinted, bathing the room in purple and green. Comfortable chairs formed a half-circle around the stage, permitting as deep a slouch as you might want while still providing a good view of the action. Most of the patrons were men, filling about three-quarters of the first row, and deliberately avoiding even the slightest chance of eye contact with each other.

Oh, and then there were the girls. Couldn't forget about them, could she?

Anna slumped on a chair near the center of the semicircle, sipping on a root beer – must be nice to be 21, huh? – and staring at the stage. A brunette gyrated on a pole, performing moves that Anna would hesitate to attempt even fully clothed. More half-naked girls walked around the club, most of them so skinny that their ribs were visible. It was nice enough to look at, and combined with the pounding music, it was almost enough to make her forget why she was here.

She mechanically tossed her singles onstage, emulating how they did it in movies. Her emotions had dulled considerably, masked by the cheap scintillations of the strip club. She tried hard to squash any thoughts about Elsa, which of course was pretty Sisyphean, but at least the pain was less intense.

"Hey there, hon."

Anna glanced to the side. A slightly older woman, maybe in her early thirties, had approached her. She was taller than most of the other girls, with a bit more meat on her bones. "You're looking lonesome," she said, her face sympathetic. "First breakup?"

Anna shook her head.

"Worst breakup?"

This time Anna nodded.

"Yeah, that's rough," the woman said. "Mind if I sit with you?"

Anna shrugged. "Sure, go ahead," she mumbled.

Anna yelped in surprise as, instead of sitting next to her, the stripper sat directly on her lap. She raised her hands to either side, not sure where to put them.

The woman chuckled at her surprise, as if she was used to it. "First time here, honey? Well, you can touch all you like – just no grabbing."

Anna, hands hovering, eventually placed her hand on the woman's waist. She wasn't as muscular as Elsa, but Anna could still feel the muscles beneath her soft skin. It was weird to be touching a stranger like this, but to feel someone's body heat so close to hers felt comforting. She couldn't help but be a little aroused.

She soon felt guilty, however. This woman was friendly, her body was warm, and her skin was supple. But she wasn't Elsa. Touching her only reopened the wound she had been trying to ignore.

Softly, she pushed against the woman. "Sorry, just…no, please. Not right now." She almost choked on the irony as the words left her mouth.

The lady immediately obliged, standing up again and placing herself in the seat next to her. "Sorry 'bout that," she said. "Most folks like the directness, but sometimes I come on a little too strong."

"Yeah, well, join the fucking club," Anna muttered.

"All right, so no touching," the woman said. "You wanna talk?"

Anna looked at her. "I guess," she said. "If you don't mind."

"Of course!" she said. "I ain't a grief counselor, but I've seen enough sad sacks come through those doors to know a thing or two about solving problems."

She stuck out a hand. "The name's Helen," she said. "Helen Back."

Anna managed a weak chuckle. "Clever," she said.

Helen leaned back in her seat, crossing her legs. "So, what kinda heartbreak are we dealing with? Unrequited love? Or just a bad fight?"

Anna shifted to face the older woman, trying to pick her words carefully. "Well, I fell in love with someone that I…probably shouldn't have. But I thought it'd turn out okay, until today."

Helen nodded. "Ah, that kinda sitch, huh? So who would this forbidden love be?"

"I can't say," Anna said, looking down.

"Ah, come on," Helen said. "Your secret's safe with me, I promise."

Anna fidgeted. "It's embarrassing."

"Look at me," Helen continued. "Five minutes before you showed up, I was grinding on a fat businessman's lap for a tenner. You think I'm gonna judge you?"

Anna was torn. Despite her reticence, she really wanted to confess to someone. She couldn't do it with anyone she knew – maybe this would be a better solution?

Fuck it, I'm still allowed a confidant, aren't I?

She looked up and blurted out the words before she could second-guess herself. "My sister."

Her face reddened, and she waited for the pushback.

Helen raised an eyebrow. "That's it?" she said. "I thought you were gonna say, like, your mom or something."

Anna blinked. Of all the responses she'd expected, that was not one of them. "What?"

"We get all sorts of freaky-deaky people here," Helen explained. "Believe me, on a scale of one to 'fucking weird', sister ain't even in the positive numbers."

Anna wasn't sure if she believed her, but Helen's refusal to judge her brought at least a little comfort.

"So," Helen continued. "Girl has sister, girl loves sister. I'm guessing the next step is, sister doesn't love girl back?"

Anna's head drooped. "I'm not even sure anymore."

xxxxxxx

Helen was spared no details. Once Anna started talking, the words just kept coming. She took her through every step of her journey, from Hans to Kristoff to Elsa Schneider to just plain Elsa. Every moment they shared, every misgiving she felt, every warning sign ignored but now so clear in hindsight – all of it poured out of her, unfiltered and largely uninterrupted. Emotion started trickling into her voice near the end, and she teared up, but still the tears clung to her eyes rather than fall.

"And then I ran," said Anna, drawing to a close. "I ran because I didn't know what else to do. And now I'm here."

Helen had taken her hand a few minutes back. Now she took the other. "Poor thing," she said. "Getting shut down, right in the moment like that – that sucks dick."

Anna sighed and slumped back into her chair, drained. "I went too far," she said. "I can see that now. But…she really, really should've told me what was up before that. Not telling me was just insulting."

Helen leaned forward, placing her hands in her lap. "So, you wanna hear my opinion?" she asked.

Anna nodded. "Sure," she said. "I'm all ears."

"Now, keep in mind," Helen said, "I can't pretend I know exactly how either of ya are thinking. My sister's never had the hots for me, or vice versa."

"I figured that," Anna said.

"But, uh, based on what you've told me…it doesn't sound like she's changed her mind, or reconsidered, or anything. I don't think she doesn't want you anymore."

Anna lifted her head, eyebrows arching. "You don't?" she asked. "Then…what does it sound like?"

"Well, it sounds like she's trying to balance being a sister and being a girlfriend," Helen said. "And that ain't easy. Bein' a good girlfriend is hard, but being a good sister – whoo, that's way, way harder. And if she had to pick just one, which one do you think she'd pick?"

"…Well, I guess," Anna said. "But she doesn't have to pick. I'm ready to do both, that's what I was trying to show her."

"Maybe you are," Helen said. "Who's to say she is?"

Anna frowned. "Why wouldn't she be? She's been with other girls before – lots of them!"

Helen raised an eyebrow. "And is that what you wanna be? Just another in a long line of girls she's slept with?"

"No," conceded Anna.

"Then it ain't the same. If she wants to be with you in the long run, I bet she'll wanna make damn sure everything's all right. She doesn't sound like the kind of gal to do anything important without thinking it over a million times."

"Then she should've told me that," Anna said. "If she'd just had an adult discussion with me about it, this wouldn't be happening. She was still treating me like a child."

"Because you've been a child her whole life," Helen said. "She's known you as a kid, her little sister, for eighteen years. You don't just shake that off in a couple of months. Hell, I know a guy who treats his younger bro like a kid, even though he's 63 years old now."

"But I've been trying to prove to her that I'm grown up – at least enough for this," Anna insisted. "I've been doing everything I can."

Helen raised one corner of her mouth in a knowing smile. "Like what? Swearing and dressing all skimpy?"

Anna winced. It sounded a lot less convincing when she said it out loud. "Yes," she admitted.

The woman shook her head. "Honey," she said, "that's my goddamn job description, and my family still tells me to grow up every chance they get."

"Then what am I supposed to do?" Anna asked, a little desperately. "How do I prove to her that I'm ready?"

Helen shrugged. "Fucked if I know," she said. "Maturity's subjective. You ask everyone on the planet what makes someone mature enough to handle a relationship, you'll get seven billion different answers. I've seen a lotta folks that never get there."

Anna looked down. "Yeah, and I'm guessing 'running away at the first sign of rejection' is a pretty big disqualifier for most, huh?"

Helen gently dragged Anna's chin up with a finger, reestablishing eye contact. "Hey, I don't blame you," she said. "Your emotions were running high, you wanted some space. There are worse ways to deal with an argument, especially with your sister." A regretful look appeared in her eye. "Trust me on that one."

"So you're saying…you don't think I've totally fucked this up yet?" Anna asked, with a glimmer of hope.

"Not yet," Helen said. "It's not nothing, but this fight you two had isn't a relationship ender, not on its own. You still care about her, sounds like. And unless that's a vibrator in your pocket, I'm guessing she still cares about you, too."

Anna blushed. Her phone was still buzzing with message after message. Ignoring it wasn't helping anything. "I'm…afraid to look," she admitted.

"Well, it's not gonna get any easier," Helen said.

Anna gritted her teeth and fished the phone out of her pocket. She opened up her messages and winced, as she saw exactly what she'd expected. Message after message of apologies, pleas, and requests to know where she'd gone filled the screen. As she scrolled down, the spelling and grammar deteriorated. Which meant she was drinking.

I need to get back there. This isn't where I belong.

Two more texts arrived while she formulated her own, trying to think of the right words. Eventually, finally, she hit send.

_I'm coming back home. We'll talk in the morning._

Almost instantly, the messages stopped rolling in.

Anna stood up. "I'm…I'm going home," she said. "Thank you so much for all the advice, Helen."

"I'm glad I could help," Helen said. She stood up and gave Anna a quick hug. Despite how little she was wearing, there was absolutely nothing sexual about it. "Good luck."

As urgently as Anna wanted to leave, a question burned in her mind. "So…you said you got in a fight with your sister," she said. "Did you two ever make up?"

Helen sighed. "No," she said, "We didn't. And you wanna know something? It sucks. It fucking sucks."

Anna lowered her head. "I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"Go," Helen said, smiling wistfully. "I've made my mistakes. Go fix yours."

Anna nodded. With one last wave goodbye, she turned around and walked briskly towards the exit.

She very nearly broke into a sprint.

xxxxxxx

The front door clicked open, then shut. Elsa was in her room, but she heard it – she'd done nothing but listen for it for the past fifteen minutes. She sat in her bed, not moving and listening as hard as possible.

The bottle of vodka was sitting by her bed, now sealed. She'd taken one last drink for courage after getting Anna's message, then placed it out of reach. The morning was only a few hours away, and she'd be facing it tired and not completely sober. But that was her fault. This whole thing was basically her fault, but that was in particular.

The stairs creaked, one by one. Elsa felt her heart rate accelerate with each one. Anna's text had been clear, but maybe she'd give some kind of signal for how things would go in the morning. Something. Anything.

She was close enough that Elsa could hear her individual footsteps now. She walked down the hallway, then stopped, lingering outside of Elsa's closed door. Elsa held her breath.

Is she going to say anything right now? Should I say anything? Where has she been? What did she do? Has she changed her mind, or-

The door handle turned, and even her inner voice fell silent.

The door creaked open, just a crack. Anna stuck her head in and looked at Elsa. She stayed motionless on the bed. Anna's face was impassive, expressionless. She stayed there for only seconds, then pulled away and closed the door.

As it clicked shut, Elsa feel backwards into the bed, a wave of exhaustion flooding over her. Her head landed on her tear-soaked pillow, and her eyes closed.

She's home. Thank god, she's back home.

She may still hate me. She may want nothing more to do with me, girlfriend or otherwise. I still may have damaged our relationship beyond repair. But at least she's safe at home.

With this small solace, sleep finally came to her. In the adjacent room, Anna collapsed onto her bed, not even having the strength to change into her pajamas before drifting to sleep. And the worst night of both of their lives drew to a close.


	26. Chapter 26: Time to talk, again

**Chapter twenty-six**

**Time to talk, again**

Anna woke up to the smell of bacon.

She pushed herself up, groaning. Her body was stiff, and her skin chafed from sleeping in her clothes. The previous night's events were still sharp in her mind – speaking of sharp, her head ached. Nevertheless, she took stock of her situation. Elsa was cooking, so she must've overslept. Yet her clock read 8:07 – a little late for her, but very early for Elsa. How much sleep did she even get, anyway?

Anna's stomach rumbled. She stretched, cracking her toes, then her knuckles, then her neck. She sniffed at her shirt and winced. She didn't bother checking a mirror, confident that she probably looked as bad as she smelled. She considered a shower, or at least a change of clothes, but her stomach rumbled again and she decided against it. Elsa's cooking was hard to pass up, and if it was almost done now, it'd be cold by the time she made it out of the shower. Hunger had a funny way of worming itself to the forefront of the mind, drowning out all other problems.

Fine, she'll just have to take me as I am.

Anna stumbled, bleary-eyed, down the stairs, into the dimly lit kitchen. Elsa was bustling around, moving with the energy only a person with less than four hours of sleep could possess. She noticed Anna come in and turned to face her.

"Oh, Anna, you're up!" she said. "Everything's just about ready." She gestured at the toast already on two plates, and the large skillet with bacon and eggs inside. "You still like your eggs over easy?"

"Yes," Anna said quietly, her voice a little hoarse.

"And how do you like your coffee?" Elsa asked, gesturing at the coffeepot.

"Cream, two sugars."

"All right, then," Elsa said. "It'll just be a couple more minutes."

Anna didn't reply. She just stood there, looking at Elsa impassively. Elsa divined her concern pretty quickly.

"This isn't a bribe," Elsa said. "We're still going to have a talk – a long, painful talk. But since we won't have the luxury of a full night's sleep, or-" she tapped her own head guiltily "-a sober head, in my case – I figured we might as well deal with it on a full stomach."

"Fair enough," Anna said.

Elsa looked like she had more to say, but instead she turned back to the stove. Anna was having none of it.

"You look like you have something else you want to say," she said.

"I do," Elsa said, staring at the skillet. "But…maybe I shouldn't."

"Elsa," Anna said in a warning tone.

"You're right, you're right," Elsa said quickly. "I need to stop thinking like that."

She clutched the countertop, drawing in several deep breaths. Finally, she turned around.

"I…hurt you," she said, sounding as if she had to force out the words one by one. "I made a mistake, and I hurt you. You're probably still mad at me, and you have every right to be. I'm going to be apologizing to you for a long, long time. I don't know if I have the right to make any kind of demands, or even requests. But I'm going to anyway."

She paused, looking at her sister. Anna motioned for her to continue.

"I can't blame you for running. I've done the same thing in the past – way too many times. I wish you hadn't, but I have no grounds to tell you that you shouldn't."

She took another deep breath, this one shuddering, and closed her eyes.

"But you didn't tell me you were leaving," she said, emotion entering her voice. "You didn't say where you were going, and you didn't answer my texts when I asked where you were, for _hours_." She opened her eyes again, staring at Anna with a pained look. "I was dying worrying about you. Anything could've happened to you, and I wouldn't have known."

Her voice took on a pleading tone now. "I won't ask you where you went, or what you did. But I need you to promise me that the next time this happens, you'll tell me where you go. No matter how mad I make you, or you make me, you can't vanish without a trace. I won't follow you if you tell me not to, but you can't just leave me in the dark like that. My heart just can't take it." Her voice fell to a begging whisper. "Please," she breathed.

Anna tried to hold a steely demeanor, but seeing Elsa in anguish like this made it almost impossible. "Okay," she said, her voice holding steady. "I promise."

Elsa relaxed, her high-strung body sagging a little. "Thank you," she said. "Thank you so much, Anna."

Still, Anna sensed something more to come. She waited for Elsa to continue, which she did.

"That was my demand," she said. "Now…I have a request. You don't have to fulfill it if you don't want to, or you think I don't deserve it."

"Okay," Anna said guardedly. "Let's hear it. What is it you want?"

Elsa stepped forward and raised her arms to either side. "A hug."

Anna froze. She stared at her sister, wide-eyed and starting to tremble.

Elsa reluctantly began to lower her arms. "It's okay if you're not there yet," she said. "We can just eat and-"

Anna rushed forward, wrapping her arms around her sister and squeezing tight. She sank her face into Elsa's shoulder and sobbed, loudly and openly. Elsa hugged Anna back, holding her as if she'd never get the chance to again. She stroked her sister's unwashed, tangled, perfect hair, and she wept.

Now, at last, the tears that had eluded Anna the previous night poured from her eyes, soaking Elsa's shirt. Elsa, who thought she had cried herself dry, found more tears herself. Anna's composure was gone, the warmth of the sister she thought she had lost rocking her to the core.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice muffled.

"I'm sorry too," Elsa answered, her tears falling on Anna's hair.

"I messed up," Anna said.

"We both did," said Elsa, gripping even harder.

Anna was barely even supporting her own weight anymore. Elsa held her completely. And Anna, totally consumed by her emotions and bawling like a baby, knew she was right where she wanted to be.

xxxxxxx

"Pass the salt, please," Elsa asked. Anna handed it over, and she salted the contents of her fork, upon which she had speared a piece of bacon, egg, and toast.

Her cooking was excellent, as usual. Thanks to the duration of their hug, the over easy eggs had come out closer to medium, but they still tasted delicious. Would that it would be the only sacrifice they'd need to make that day.

Despite having had a good few hours of lying awake in bed to prepare for their conversation, Elsa still felt woefully unprepared. They were on steadier ground now after their hug, but so much was still uncertain. She was worried about how Anna would react to her explanations, and especially so for the proposition she planned to make. At this point, though, she knew she was committed. She had no plan B.

The food gradually disappeared, tension steadily mounting as it did. Elsa reviewed the various opening remarks she had prepared, finding them all lacking. Soon they were down to crumbs, and still her fork skittered across the plate, looking for some last morsel to occupy her mouth. So she was surprised and relieved when Anna cleared her throat

"When I entered your room last night, Elsa, how did you feel?" Anna asked quietly.

Elsa processed this question, wiping her mouth on a napkin to buy time. "I felt…panicked," she said. "Like the most important choice of my life was suddenly in front of me, and I only had a few seconds to make it."

"And when I left?" Anna asked. "How did you feel then?"

Elsa bit her lip. "Like I'd made the worst one," she said.

Anna nodded. "I'm sorry," she said. "I know you have anxiety and stuff. I shouldn't have forced you to choose so fast, without talking first. I just…" She looked down guiltily. "…I thought, if I just kind of sprung it on you, you wouldn't have time to second-guess yourself."

Elsa blinked. "Anna, I can't just skip past my anxiety and get to the part where I'm comfortable. Believe me, I would if I could."

"I know," Anna said. "But at the time, I thought you were ready to go, and you just weren't sure if I was."

Elsa nodded sadly. "I understand. That's a mistake I'm all too familiar with." A memory drifted to the forefront of her mind, pounding on her hungover brain. She squeezed her temples. "Although you'd think that'd mean I'd warn you about it."

Anna didn't reply. She could sense a story coming, one Elsa hadn't shared before.

She pulled her hand away from her face and looked at Anna. "When I met Belle," she said, "I had barriers up. Tons of them. So did she. But after a few weeks, we started blowing right through them. Everything was so exciting and new, and we were eager to learn about it. It felt like we didn't have any limits at all."

Anna swallowed. She could tell what was next.

"But we did, it turned out. Boy, did we. And guess who barreled right through them."

Anna's heart ached for her sister. She remembered the heartbroken nights that had followed.

"When I started dating you," Elsa continued, "I made every effort possible to avoid making the same mistake. So instead, I made the opposite mistake. Go me."

"Oh Elsa," Anna said, reaching out a sympathetic hand. "You kept saying afterwards that it was all your fault. It must've been partly hers, too – she could've…communicated better."

Elsa smiled ruefully. "Clearly I'm in no position to throw stones there," she said.

Anna said nothing.

"You'd think I could do better after that," Elsa said. "But I guess I still had plenty more fuckups to make, even after I went to hell and back for the first one."

Anna gasped.

Elsa noticed her surprise. "So, that's where you went, too," she said. Anna saw no point trying to deny it. "How is she, anyway?"

"She's…good," Anna said.

"Good listener, isn't she?" Anna nodded. "I had a feeling you'd meet her if you went there. She likes to seek out the heartbroken."

Anna nodded. "Well, I was that."

She rewound the conversation in her head. "So that's it, then?" Anna asked. "You pushed me away because you thought we were going too fast?"

Elsa rubbed her chin. "Yes, and no." She struggled with how to phrase her thoughts. "The reason…the reason…Okay, look. I don't think there's any way I can phrase this without upsetting you. Just trust me when I say that I don't mean to insult you in any way. Okay?"

"…Okay," Anna said, bracing herself.

Elsa breathed. "You are my sister," she said. She saw the look forming on Anna's face. "That's not the problem by itself," she said quickly. "It's not that I'm uncomfortable with touching or kissing you because of that. Maybe I was to start with, but not anymore. On a physical level, I've made peace with the idea. But…there's more than just the physical level going on here."

She looked Anna up and down. "You've changed so much in the past month. You've grown up a lot. And they aren't bad changes, per se. I don't dislike the changes on their own." She looked into Anna's eyes. "But I _love_ the old you. The version of you that's just my sister, the one I've known for years. Maybe it's selfish, but…if you change, then that version of you might be gone forever." She broke eye contact, lowering her head. "I wasn't ready for that change."

She kept going, the words coming so easily now. "That was the purpose of Elsa Schneider. I wanted to make it clear that the Elsa you were kissing wasn't the one you'd grown up with, the one you knew as a sister." She laughed bitterly. "I don't know if I ever really believed that myself, or if I just pretended to."

She looked at Anna again. "So, in short, when you accused me of treating you like a child…yes, that's exactly what I was doing. I treated you like the child my sister was, instead of the woman you've become." She closed her mouth, and waited for Anna's judgment.

But it seemed Anna was in no mood to scold. "Yeah, well," she said bashfully, "maybe I'd have more grounds to complain if I didn't immediately prove you right."

Her voice took on a hint of self-loathing. "I saw you, you know. When I was driving away, I saw you in my rearview mirror. I saw you running. I saw you collapse." Her voice was fully bitter now, more scathing against her own actions than she'd ever been towards Elsa's. "You still wanted to explain yourself, to fight through the problem. Because that's what you're good at. And what am I good at? Running. So that's exactly what I did."

Elsa extended her hand. "It's easier to run away if someone's pushing you," she said.

"What choice did you have?" Anna asked. "I basically forced myself on you!"

"I hadn't given you any indication that it wasn't what I wanted," Elsa said. "I can't be mad at you for that."

"…Maybe you should," Anna said. She lowered her head, making herself small.

Elsa stood up. "You can't blame yourself for all of this, Anna," she said.

"Yes I can!" she shouted, voice raw. "All I had to do was ask you what was going on, and we could've avoided this entirely! Instead, I ran away like a coward and left you crying on the doorstep!" She sunk her head into her hands.

Elsa walked around the table and placed her hands on Anna's shoulders. "Hey," she said. Anna didn't look up. She squeezed her shoulders, then released, leaning forward and wreathing her arms around Anna's neck. "Hey," she said again, hugging her sister gently. This time Anna looked up. "It's okay," she whispered into Anna's ear.

"B-but I…we…"

"Yeah, we could've avoided this fight," Elsa said. "If I'd talked to you, or you talked to me, or a million other things. But we didn't. And that's okay. Know why?"

Anna shook her head.

"Because every relationship has fights, has arguments, has some kind of difficulties. No relationship is perfect, and if Elsa Schneider suggested otherwise, she's full of shit. It's only natural, when you get that close and open your heart to someone else, you both end up vulnerable to hurting each other. Sometimes, the joy is worth the pain. Sometimes it isn't." Elsa nuzzled her head into Anna's chin. "But with you, I don't think it could ever be not worth it."

Tears streaked down Anna's face. "So you're not…m-mad at me?"

Elsa smiled, squeezing her sister tighter. She relished the feeling of Anna so close to her, drinking in her smell. She couldn't help but shed a tear herself.

"Does it feel like I'm mad at you?"

xxxxxxx

The television was on, but neither of them could be accused of watching it.

Anna reclined against a back corner of the sofa with Elsa sitting comfortably between her legs. Anna, still bashful, had asked if she could cuddle Elsa for a while, which Elsa had happily allowed her to. Anna's hands moved across Elsa's body, from her hair, to her back, to her shoulders, unsure of where to settle but happy to drift.

Elsa, meanwhile, was thinking. Despite her brain still not being at full capacity, she was still trying to plan their next move. While it was normally quite irritating to not just be able to go with the flow, in light of recent events it seemed like a little planning would do the both of them a lot of good. And, indeed, a plan had formed. It'd be a hard sell, but never easier than right now.

She gathered her courage. "Hey, Anna?" she said.

"Mm?" Anna replied.

Elsa turned around, then leaned backwards so the two of them were facing one another. "So, I've been thinking," she said.

"About what?" Anna asked, sensing that something important was coming.

"About us, and how we move forward from this." She took a deep breath. "Do you remember when I said that I wanted us to be more than sisters, but also that I never wanted us to be less than sisters?"

Anna nodded. "Like I could forget," she said.

Elsa folded her hands. "Well, I think this would be the perfect opportunity to test that." Anna looked confused, so she elaborated. "We've just been through a fight – a pretty big one, too – and a separation. Probably one of the lowest points we'll ever get to, if we're lucky. If we can still be sisters after that, then I think…I think we've got a pretty good shot at this."

Anna still couldn't tell where she was going with this. "So what are you suggesting?"

"I'd like to try something." Elsa held up a finger. "One week of just being sisters. No kissing, no groping, just…all the things sisters normally do. For no other reason than to prove that we still can do it. Today's Saturday, so if we make it through the whole week without doing anything un-sisterly, then next Saturday morning, we'll be girlfriends." Then she delivered the finale. "And if you're still willing, that Saturday night, we'll be lovers."

Anna put a hand to her mouth. "Are you sure?" she asked.

Elsa prepared her defensive arguments. "Yes, I am. A week's a long time, for sure, and it'll be hard to resist, but I think this week will give us some good perspective as to where we're going, and…"

"No," interrupted Anna. "I mean, are you sure you'll be ready by next Saturday night?"

Elsa was taken aback. She had fully expected Anna to resist the idea outright, but the first concern she had was that it might not be long _enough _for her?

You really are wonderful, Anna.

Elsa swallowed. "I think so," she said. "My biggest fear is that being your girlfriend would push the two of us apart. If we're still capable of being sisters after what we've been through, that should confirm that it won't. I'll still have my smaller fears, but for you, I can put them aside."

"And the maturity thing?" Anna asked.

"If you can resist kissing your girlfriend for a whole week, that's more mature than I was at 18, that's for sure," Elsa said.

She took Anna's hand. "So does all of that sound reasonable?"

Anna started thinking.

"You can tell me if it isn't," Elsa said. "In fact, I want you to tell me if it isn't. If you think it's a selfish demand that's neglecting your needs, make sure you say that. I don't want to hurt you again."

"I know," Anna said, still thinking. "So…what happens if we can't make it a full week?"

"Then we try something else," Elsa said. "We'll keep trying things until something works. I'm not about to give up just because we couldn't meet some stupid goal I came up with, that's for sure."

"It's not stupid," Anna said. "It might be worth a shot." She looked at Elsa. "Sisters still hug, right?"

Elsa chuckled. "Yes, Anna, sisters hug."

"All right, then," Anna said. "Let's do it."

"You're sure about this, then?" Elsa asked. "It's a pretty big ask."

"I know it is," Anna said. "But…if you're not comfortable, I'm not comfortable. If this is what it takes, I'm with you on this."

Elsa smiled. "Thank you so much, Anna. You're the best sister ever."

Anna hugged her. "I'm a close second, at best."

Elsa chuckled.

"So, uh, when does this start?" Anna asked.

"Right now, I guess," Elsa said.

"Um…can it be in ten seconds?"

Elsa frowned. "Why?"

"So we can seal it with a nine-second kiss," Anna said, smiling.

Elsa grinned. "That sounds like a good idea to me."

Anna grabbed her collar and gently pulled her in.

Her kiss was spectacular, all the better for the night they had spent apart. Elsa's tongue danced with Anna's around their mouths, sending shivers down her spine. Where their last kiss had been surprising and followed by disaster, this one was welcome, pure, perfect.

This was going to be the longest week of her life.

A voice inside Elsa's head started screaming at her for forcing them to wait a whole week. She wanted Anna, Anna wanted her – why not go for it? But Elsa knew this would be good for them. If there was a way to still be a good sister while doing what she wanted to with Anna, this had to be it. But fuck, it was going to be so hard, for both of them.

Yes, it will be. But our relationship, and our sisterhood, are worth it. She's worth it.

The nine-second kiss lasted closer to fourteen seconds, although neither sister was counting. When they broke off, they were both wearing big smiles.

"It's started, then," Elsa said.

"Yep," Anna said. Despite her bedraggled appearance, she seemed of lighter spirits than she had when she first woke up. "So what do we do now?"

Elsa smiled at her. "Anything we want. Except for that one thing, of course."


	27. Chapter 27: A week without

**Chapter twenty-seven**

**A week without**

They wanted to do nothing that day. So that's exactly what they did.

For the first time that summer vacation, though surely not the last, the two of them spent most of the day on the couch, TV and laptops on. After all the insanity last night had brought, it was comforting to be doing something normal again. Anna eventually took that shower she'd been needing and returned in her pajamas, which she'd stay in for the rest of the day.

Elsa's hangover gradually faded, helped by a few glasses of water. As it did, her sitting position shifted back, from hunched over her laptop to reclining against the couch, sinking into the cushion. Her mind was still reeling, as was Anna's, but through the time honored strategy of slacking off, both of their concerns steadily faded into background noise.

Lunch time saw Elsa bringing out the tea trays, and they feasted on Ramen with actual chicken, a classic quick Elsa dish. Elsa seasoned hers with garlic powder, now that kissing wasn't on the menu anymore. A snack of cheese and crackers followed, with a dinner of frozen pizza – who could ask for more?

The real jackpot came around 7, when Elsa flipped through the channels and found X-men: First Class – that one earned her a high five from Anna. After that, they both agreed that it would be high time to get some sleep.

They had been inching closer to each other the whole day, the space between them getting smaller and smaller. Now, as the movie started, they met in the middle. After a few minutes of nervous back-and-forth in her head, Elsa slung an arm around her sister. The touch surprised her, but it was a pleasant surprise. Sisters do still hug, after all.

They hadn't turned any lights on, so the room darkened as the movie went on. As night fell, so did Elsa's head, drooping lower and lower until it hit the couch. Soon, she began to snore lightly, a sound that Anna had always found adorable, ever since she was about five. Her arm remained around Anna, and Anna braced it with an arm of her own around Elsa's waist.

Anna still felt arousal, of course. Couldn't just turn that off, no pun intended. But she found herself more than capable of restraining her desires. Elsa's hugs had been a fact of life for years, and they meant so many things to her – comfort, inclusion, and above all, safety.

Oh, I'm so glad sisters still hug.

Eventually, the movie ended. Anna remained where she was for a few minutes before stirring her sister. "Hey," she said quietly, as Elsa woke up. "Movie's over. Bedtime." She grinned. "And I'm not gonna carry you. Sorry to disappoint."

Elsa chuckled sleepily. "That's okay," she said, pushing herself off the couch. "I'm too fat for it, anyway."

Anna shook her head, chuckling. "Elsa, how many freaking times do I have to tell you-"

"I know, I know," she said. "A teeny, tiny bit of it is muscle."

Anna sighed. "That's a start, at least."

The two made their way up the stairs. A long overdue tooth-brushing later, they prepared to depart to their rooms. Elsa beckoned Anna to her, and delivered a final bone-crushing hug for the night. "Thanks for humoring me on this," she whispered into Anna's ear.

Anna smiled. "It's my pleasure," she whispered back. They were normal whispers, not the sultry kind Anna had been practicing.

Lying in bed, the peace Anna was feeling quickly translated into sleepiness. She still didn't really have any kind of official definition of what sisters wouldn't do that girlfriends would, but she realized that she didn't really need to, either. Running a quick search on Google, she'd found no definitive answers to where the line might be, aside from the painfully obvious. It was up to the sisters themselves to decide what was acceptable and what wasn't.

If one of us goes over the line, we'll know. There's nothing set in stone about being sisters – or girlfriends, for that matter. We'll do what we're comfortable with, nothing more, nothing less.

'Nuff said.

xxxxxxx

"Welcome to Vito's Pizza and Pasta!" Mary said as they walked through the door, all smiles.

"Table for two," Anna said.

"Of course, dear. Right this way."

Elsa and Anna followed her through the mild crowd that Sunday evening had brought. They ended up at a small, secluded table, far enough away from the largest group. The booth from their previous visit was now occupied by a family of four, providing an incentive to not stare at it the entire time.

They were both in a lasagna-y kind of mood, so that's what they ordered. Elsa had, regrettably, worn a white shirt, but that didn't stop her from devouring the food when it came. Anna did the same, reflecting that being in non-girlfriend mode had its perks. They dined quietly, exchanging a couple of words here and there.

"So," Elsa said, "I'm gonna be on campus all day Monday. I've got some end-of-year stuff I need to wrap up."

"Okay," Anna said. "Punz and I have been talking about having another sleepover, I'll see if she's up for it tomorrow."

"That sounds wonderful," Elsa said. "How's she doing these days?"

"She's good," Anna said.

Another silence followed, but this one felt loaded. Elsa could sense that something was on Anna's mind. "Everything all right?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm just…pondering," she said."

"Well, by all means, ponder aloud," Elsa said.

"All right." Anna folded her hands. "Elsa, do you like Kent State?"

"Yeah, I do," Elsa said. "It's a nice big campus, I get the chance to meet people from all over the world, and it's real close to home. It's a great place." She smiled. "Thinking about your future?"

Anna nodded.

"Well, don't limit yourself to just the nearest one," Elsa said. "With your brains, you could go to any school you wanted! Yale, Harvard…any of them."

Anna smiled. "Maybe I'll get my master's at one of those schools," she said. "If I get my bachelor's degree at Kent, and a master's at Harvard, I've still got a master's from Harvard, but that's four years of paying Kent tuition instead of Harvard."

Elsa blinked. "Damn, you've thought this out."

"I have."

Elsa chuckled. "Well, there you have it. You're not just smart enough to go to Harvard, you're smart enough to _not_ go to Harvard! That's a whole 'nother level!"

Anna blushed at the compliment. "Nice of you to say so," she said.

"Wouldn't say it unless I meant it," Elsa assured her.

Anna looked in her eyes. "But you know, that's not the main reason I'm applying to Kent. Kent State has something no other college in the world has."

Now Elsa blushed. "Only for another year," she said. "Well, a year and a half."

"Sure, a year and a half together doesn't sound long at all," Anna said. "But how long does a year and a half apart sound?"

Elsa nodded, acknowledging the point. "Way too long."

xxxxxxx

Tuesday saw them attending a matinee. The theater was pretty empty, due to how early they arrived – or maybe it was because of the movie they picked.

Elsa blamed herself. After a Bollywood movie and a romance movie, she'd thought a romantic comedy might be a bit more subdued. Well, it certainly was.

_Love…and other Fairytales_ starred Ashton Kutcher as your standard, everyday protagonist, who, through some _crazy_ hijinks, ends up living in an apartment with a girl he absolutely can't stand, except she might actually be the love of his life. It was….well, it was awful. A total snoozefest with predictable jokes and a story structure you could set your watch to. At forty-five minutes in, Elsa wanted to jump up and shout "Just fuck already!" She doubted it would disrupt any of the other people's viewing experiences, though it might disrupt their naps.

She and Anna munched from the same popcorn bucket, paying just enough attention to not end up holding hands by accident. Every time a groaner of a joke played out, they would look at each other and make a face. Elsa had already whispered an apology for not looking into the quality of the movie before suggesting it, which Anna had of course dismissed. Indeed, while the movie was awful, neither of them were having a bad time. A bad movie with a good friend could still be a good time.

90 minutes later, they exited the theater, still snacking on the overly large bucket of popcorn.

"Well that was…a travesty," Elsa said.

Anna nodded. "I've seen worse movies with Ashton Kutcher, but that's not exactly a high bar."

"I mean, the story was just so awful! Nothing about it was funny. Remember that scene where he runs into her when she's in a bathrobe and he's like, 'Bwuuuh?'"

"It wasn't even that revealing," Anna pointed out.

"Yeah, that's another thing," Elsa said. "They didn't do much with that R rating, did they? I mean, if you're gonna make an awful movie, you might as well have the characters fuck at the end, to reward your audience for sitting through it."

"Or here's an idea," Anna said. "How about you make a good movie, _and_ have sex scenes?"

"Now that's a great concept!" Elsa said. "They oughta hire more people like you."

Yeah," Anna responded, assuming a fake haughtiness. "Sadly, there's just not enough me to go around."

"No, there isn't," Elsa agreed.

She and Anna were both holding onto the popcorn bucket. If you ignored that 10 inch cylinder of paper, it was almost like they were holding hands. But that wouldn't be sisterly – at least, it wouldn't feel sisterly.

Easy, Elsa, easy. You're halfway there. This was your idea, the least you can do is not fuck it up.

Her body was starting to ache for Anna. She'd known, from the moment she'd suggested this week long break, that she'd come to regret it before it was over. But she knew this was the responsible thing to do, whether she liked it or not. Scratch that – the fact she didn't like it was part of what made it the responsible thing.

"Elsa?" Anna said, breaking her concentration. "You okay?"

Elsa shook herself. "Yeah, sorry. I guess I spaced out there, huh?" Anna nodded. "I was just thinking about how much responsibility sucks."

Anna nodded, seeming to understand exactly what she meant. "Yeah, it does. But you're doing a good job of it so far."

Elsa smiled ruefully. "If you could read my mind, you might not say that."

Anna laughed. "If I could read your mind, Elsa, this all would've been resolved weeks ago!"

"You've got a point there," Elsa said with a chuckle.

Anna elbowed her. "If you need any help to cool things down, I could always drop some eggs onto your head again."

"Oh my god, I forgot you did that!" Elsa said, laughing. "You used to be such a little brat, didn't you?"

"Used to?" Anna responded playfully.

"Hmm, was that the same year you got in trouble for digging up mom's garden?" Elsa asked.

"No, that was the year I got stuck in that big tree and you had to call the fire department," Anna answered.

"Oh yeah," Elsa said. "Good times."

And so they shared a good laugh, and reminisced about a simpler time when sisters were all they thought they'd ever be.

xxxxxxx

Elsa hefted the mini-fridge onto the dolly, earning impressed stares from the other two women present.

"Geez, Elsa, we could've helped with that," Anna said.

"Or emptied it first," Tiana added.

Elsa opened the fridge and noticed the half-case of soda inside. "Thought I felt something sliding around in there," she said, shrugging.

Anna's jaw slacked, then snapped shut when she realized Tiana probably shouldn't catch her drooling over her sister.

"I'll take this out to your truck, okay?" Elsa said.

"You gonna want a hand with that?" Tiana asked.

"Nah, I don't think so," Elsa answered.

"All right, then," Tiana said. "Thanks."

"No problem," Elsa said as she wheeled the fridge out of the now mostly empty dorm room. The other two girls resumed putting the remaining stuff into cardboard boxes.

"It's nice to finally meet you," Anna said to her sister's roommate.

"Same," Tiana replied. "Elsa's told me so much about you."

"I'll bet," Anna said, trying to sound as if there were only innocent ways to interpret that statement. She started unloading the clothes from Elsa's dresser, deliberately skipping past the underwear drawer.

"She says you're like a supergenius Einstein," Tiana said.

"Well, I don't know about that," Anna responded. "She must've exaggerated some stuff."

"I dunno," Tiana replied cryptically.

Elsa returned shortly thereafter. "Okay, it's loaded up," she said.

"Thanks," Tiana said. "Seriously, thanks so much for your help."

"You're welcome," Elsa said. "Just think of it as payment for being such a good roommate."

Tiana chuckled. "Sure, but then how am I gonna pay you back for being the same thing?"

"Oh, you'll think of something," Elsa said. "Hey, I don't know when we get to choose our dorm rooms next year, but do you want to try and end up in the same room again?"

"Don't think we'll have much choice in the matter," Tiana said. "I heard they're not gonna let people pick next year, they're just gonna go alphabetically."

Elsa frowned. "That's dumb," she said.

Tiana shrugged. "Something about too many couples shackin' up in the same rooms. Bet it won't last more than a year."

"I guess," Elsa said, still clearly disappointed.

Soon, everything was in boxes, all carted out to their vehicles. As Anna carried the last box away, Elsa gave Tiana a hug. "Have a good summer, Tiana. You've been a great roommate."

"You too, Elsa," Tiana said. "You and your sister have fun, you hear?"

"Oh, we will," Elsa said. "We've got big plans."

Tiana smiled. Almost smirked, actually.

"Well, plans, anyway," Elsa backpedaled, slightly unnerved by Tiana's expression. "Nothing too crazy."

Tiana nodded. "I bet you'll have fun," she said. "She seems every bit as amazing as you've been telling me she is."

Elsa tried to keep her cool and did a very bad job of it. "Just to be clear-"

Tiana held up a hand. "I said it before, I'll say it again," Tiana said, her face warm and sympathetic. "You do you."

Then she walked away, and Elsa, surprising herself, didn't panic.

xxxxxxx

Thursday rolled around, and Anna was vibrating with energy.

In addition to her morning jog, she'd taken a few jogs around the block today. Now, at 7 in the evening, she was still just as restless. Sitting in her room doing nothing wasn't going to change anything, either.

She'd been killing time browsing on the internet, but that was getting her nowhere. She knew exactly what she needed to do. She opened the incognito mode on her browser and prepared to…pregame.

It was funny, the number of different euphemisms the normally blunt Elsa could come up with for the same thing. First homework, now this.

When Elsa had first broached the subject that week, Anna had assured her that she would abstain. She wanted to save her energy for their experience together. Elsa, honored but also slightly amused, had informed her that if she wanted said experience to last more than a couple minutes, it would behoove her to pregame at least once. And now, Anna could tell, was the time for it. It only took a few seconds of searching to find a video that appealed to her, and so her right hand headed south.

She was glad she had fought past her embarrassment to ask Elsa a few questions. She'd been liberal with her self-gratification at first, but once she officially started dating Elsa, she'd held herself back a lot more. In retrospect, that was probably why she'd gotten so impatient while Elsa had managed to cool her jets. Elsa had been quick to rectify her attitude.

"Masturbation isn't something you stop doing once you have a girlfriend," she'd explained. "Unless the two of you are so in sync, you have the exact same desires at the exact same time."

Anna had nodded. "That would be impossible, even if we were identical twins."

"It wouldn't be possible even if we were _conjoined _twins," Elsa had added.

Anna's orgasm was short and sweet. The video hadn't even played for three minutes. It seemed Elsa had a point. She wiped her hand dry and closed the browser, them prepared to take a shower.

She immediately felt the relief the action had provided her. Her desires, while not sated, were now chamfered. Her relentless energy had faded somewhat, and she felt much more confident that she'd manage to get to sleep tonight. Elsa, once again, was right on the money – pregaming, it seemed, did worlds of good.

Yet as she headed to the bathroom, she made an executive decision: This would be the last pregaming she did this week. Not because she'd feel guilty about it, but because she really did want to let her energy build up for Saturday night.

The next hands to touch me will be Elsa's.

She undressed, stepped into the shower, and grabbed the bar of soap.

Well…I know what I mean.

xxxxxxx

A hundred years later, Friday came. A hundred years after that came Friday night.

Dinner was another Elsa specialty, grilled cheese with turkey and bacon. Anna set the table, and Elsa poured the drinks. They contained no secret ingredients, only the not-so-secret one.

"This is delicious," Anna said, covering her mouth so she could continue to chew whole speaking.

"Thanks," Elsa said.

After a short while, the food was done, and the dishes were promptly moved to the dishwasher. Anna recognized the telltale look of an Elsa with something to say, but she waited for Elsa to say it of her own volition.

"So," Elsa said after a time. "How's your week been?"

Anna smiled. "It's been good," she said. "How about yours?"

"Very good," Elsa said. "As good as I could've hoped for."

"I'm glad to hear that," Anna said.

They didn't say any more clarifiers on the matter, because they didn't need to. They had made it through a whole week of totally platonic hanging out. Though her mind may have gone to naughtier places sometimes, all of Elsa's actions has only been sisterly. And it felt just fine. There was no uncomfortable undercurrent at all, no feeling that something vital was missing.

"In fact," Anna added, "I think I wouldn't mind having more weeks like that in the future."

Elsa's heart swelled. That was the best thing she could've said. "Me too," she said.

Anna's smile became a sly grin. "Just not next week, of course."

"Of course," Elsa said, agreeing vehemently.

xxxxxxx

24 hours. That was all that was left.

Elsa climbed into her bed, but she knew she wouldn't be able to get to sleep for another couple of hours. In her head, she still anxiously prepared for what might possibly go wrong between now and then, but that was just a tiny voice in her head, one she could now easily shut out. The worst thing that could've happened already had, and now, one week later, they were fully past it. She and Anna had both proven themselves capable of the restraint necessary to not completely ruin their relationship just about as well as anyone could. And she'd only needed to pregame twice to do it – way below her weekly average.

Oh yeah, wasn't there something I said I'd do?

Suddenly remembering, she threw off the covers and walked over to her desk. She opened the bottom right drawer, shifted aside the various junk inside, and pulled out the small white cylinder concealed in the back corner.

A chill ran down her spine as she turned the bottle in her hands. She held it up and read the information on the label for the first time since she'd acquired it.

_20 mg_

_Take once daily for treatment of depression_

_Refills left: 0_

_Prescribed by Dr. G. Pabolo_

_Use before 4/25/2020_

_DO NOT take with alcohol_

She chuckled. "Heh. So even if I had wanted to that night, I couldn't have."

She had only really considered taking them once after Esme's warming, but it still spooked her that she had even come that close. Just a week ago, her paranoia had taken her that close to making what might've been an irreversible choice. Even before then, it had always been at the back of her mind, a last resort option if things didn't work out. But they had.

She held the bottle up in her palm. "Sorry, doc," she said, addressing the bottle as if it were the doctor himself. "Your advice helped a lot, it really did." She closed her hand around the bottle. "But I choose option four."

She dropped the bottle into her desk-side trash can. It bounced slightly off one of the crumpled up pages that had once been her diff EQ notes, then landed and sank. Elsa gave the can a soft kick, and the bottle slid down into the sea of paper, out of sight.

The deed done, Elsa felt a hefty burden lift off her shoulders, as if the bottle had weighed a hundred pounds. She walked back through the darkened room to her bed and fell back into it.

It was a nice bed, for sure – certainly better than her dorm bed. But starting tomorrow, it would be too small for her purposes.

Sorry, bed. But tomorrow night, I'll be in Anna's.


	28. Chapter 28: All I could ask for

**Chapter twenty-eight**

**All I could ask for**

It was Saturday. At last, it was Saturday!

Elsa's eyes flew open, and she smiled. She glanced at her clock.

7:30, and I'm up without either school or liquor to influence me. That's goddamn unprecedented.

Of course, that meant a longer wait to Saturday night, but after how long she'd forced herself and Anna to wait already, what was an extra hour or two?

She flung herself out of bed, propelled by enthusiasm. Before heading to the shower, she stopped by Anna's room and peered inside. Anna was sitting on the bed, which was unusual. Not that she was up already – she usually was – but that she wasn't on her morning jog already. It looked like she had showered already, too.

She smiled at Elsa. "Morning," she said, her voice soft and warm.

"Morning," Elsa replied, walking into her room. "You're not jogging today?"

Anna shook her head. "I wanted to be here now," she said. "Thanks for not keeping me waiting."

Elsa chuckled self-depreciatingly. "For once," she said.

"Now, now, none of that," Anna said, getting up from her bed. "I'm not upset about that, not one bit." She looked at Elsa, a devilish look in her eyes. "There's only one thing I plan to hold against you today." She wrapped her arms around Elsa's body, holding her in a tight embrace.

Elsa chuckled. "Nice wordplay," she said. "You always did have a silver tongue."

The setup was clear, and Anna delivered the punchline deftly. "Thanks. Now let's put it to work."

All the passion they had suppressed for the past week was poured into their kiss. Elsa felt her body tingle as their lips touched. Anna opened her mouth almost immediately, and Elsa, just as eager, followed suit. The feeling of their tongues together once again was euphoric.

Any intentions Elsa might've had to take things slowly were soon forgotten as her instincts took charge. She remained in enough control to not yet escalate things, but everything else was primal instinct. This all felt right. Despite spending the past week of forcing herself to see Anna only as a sister, now she effortlessly brushed past that misgiving. The voice telling her to stop was now so quiet it was practically inaudible.

This kiss lasted for two minutes – not that either of them were aware of the passage of time. The simple fact was, neither of them had any reason to stop. Eventually, Elsa's body started nagging at her to either pursue things further, or step back, and there would be plenty of time for the former later, so she begrudgingly did the latter. They both panted heavily, exhausted by the emotional exchange.

"Well, that was…" Elsa began.

"Amazing," Anna finished.

"As amazing as ever."

Anna quirked the corner of her mouth up. "So, any plans for today? Or are we just gonna do that until sundown?"

Elsa quirked her mouth in response, mirroring Anna's. "Well, it wouldn't be the worst idea."

xxxxxxx

Sadly, there were other bodily urges that had to take precedence; namely, hunger. After a quick shower, Elsa hurried downstairs and started working on a couple of omelets. Anna gathered the necessary ingredients while Elsa tended to the eggs.

"You're gonna have to teach me how to cook one of these days," Anna said, placing a bundle of green onions in front of her sister.

"I'd love to," Elsa said, quickly chopping them up and sliding them onto the mostly-formed second omelet. "Just let me know what it is you'd like to learn first."

"Oh, I don't have anything specific in mind." Anna slipped an arm around Elsa's waist. "I'll take whatever advice you've got."

Elsa leant her head on Anna's shoulder. "Well, there's really no wrong place to start," she said. "All that matters is that you're passionate about it."

Anna responded with a chuckle and a kiss on the cheek, which Elsa soon transformed into a kiss on the lips with the turn of her head. In no time at all, the kiss progressed to open-mouthed.

A warning flashed in Elsa's head – not the obnoxious voice of restraint, but her mental timer. Quickly turning away from Anna, she scooped up her spatula and retrieved the second omelet from the skillet, a quick examination of the bottom of it confirming that she had intervened just in time. A few seconds more, and the golden-brown hue of its surface would have degraded to brownish-black. Anna, momentarily concerned, was reassured and even amused to discover the source of her sister's alarm.

"Okay," Elsa said, smiling sheepishly at Anna, "maybe there's a bit more to it than that. But it's definitely worth it."

Anna nodded. "Yes," she agreed. "I'm sure my tongue will thank me for it."

xxxxxxx

Anna had feared the day would crawl, but it went by in a flash. Save for Elsa's quick trip to the grocery store to pick up more eggs, they both spent almost the whole day in the living room together. It was similar to how they had spent last Saturday, with a crucial difference: they started today as close together as they had finished last Saturday, and only got closer. They didn't use their laptops much - it's harder to use a laptop when you're lying down.

It had started just after lunch, with them making out in the middle of the couch. Elsa had broken off and moved down to Anna's neck, repaying her for her after-jog ministrations. As scintillating as it had been to give, being on the receiving end was more arousing by far. Moaning in pleasure, Anna had slowly leaned backwards, Elsa stuck to her, and soon they were on top of each other.

It was a wonderful feeling, to have Elsa not just next to her, not just holding her, but on top of her, pressing her whole body onto Anna's. She relished the affection, and yearned to take things further, even as she knew they would go all the way later that night. Yet she also knew the potential consequences of going too fast. But that's what middle ground was for.

Not saying anything, she reached up and gently grabbed ahold of Elsa's wrist. Elsa, who hadn't seemed to know what to do with her hands, surrendered control of it. Anna slowly pulled the hand downward, down to the hem of her shirt. Elsa's eyes widened. Anna nodded.

Now, just don't freeze up when she touches you and things will be just fine.

She let go of Elsa's hand, and Elsa, having received permission, continued in the way Anna had indicated. She moved her fingers under the shirt, touching Anna's midriff lightly. Then, her hand traveled upwards. As her fingers skimmed lightly across Anna's stomach, Anna giggled. Then, as they found their destination, she gasped.

Elsa's touch was gentle, caressing her breast lovingly. It was wonderful in all the ways Hans's hadn't been. She didn't go stiff, but it was impossible not to move. So she arched her back, pressing into Elsa's hand, which Elsa took as a signal to keep going.

Anna couldn't suppress a slight yelp as Elsa applied more pressure, squeezing a little now. Apparently this was an appropriate reaction, as Elsa didn't let up. Which was fortunate, because Anna never wanted her to stop doing what she was doing right now.

"Elsa…" she moaned.

Elsa smiled warmly. "I love it when you say my name like that," she whispered.

Anna managed to keep her wits about herself. "Then…keep doing that," Anna replied.

Elsa shot her a sly grin. "I'll do you one better," she said. Then, with thumb and forefinger, she squeezed Anna's nipple.

"Ah!" Anna exclaimed. Elsa studied her expression, making sure she hadn't gone too far, but unnecessarily. She'd applied just the right amount of pressure, stopping just short of pain but going far enough to drive Anna completely nuts. Anna writhed in her sister's grip, no longer in control of the primal noises coming from her mouth.

She'd touched her own chest a few times while doing her homework, but nothing extreme, just a few exploratory attempts with modest results. Elsa, in contrast, was _really _damn good at it. Basking in her own self-confidence for once, she boldly continued on, caressing her sister's breast and relishing the noises she produced.

"God…so…good…" Anna moaned. Elsa smiled, the pleasure of her sister buoying her own mood. And what a pleasure it was – Anna had never felt this euphoric in her life, not even close.

I wouldn't have wanted to experience this with anyone else but her.

After a couple of minutes – which was still a few hours too short, in Anna's book – Elsa relented. Her caressing slowed, then stopped, and she pulled away. Anna reached a hand out to follow Elsa's retreating one, but couldn't muster the energy to do anything else.

"Normally," Elsa said, "I'd ask, 'how was it?', but you've already answered that question."

Anna gulped down a few breaths, which also allowed her time to collect her thoughts. She thought of a number of good replies, but as she was still reeling, she responded with only the first that came to mind. "Over already?" she said, nearly at a whine.

"For now, yeah," Elsa said. "That was just the appetizer – gotta save some stuff for the main course tonight."

Anna took a while longer to compose her next response, trying to remember how to think rationally again. "Fair enough," she said, smoothing out her shirt. "If it's half as good as _that_, I'm in for a treat."

Elsa laughed. "If it's _half_ as good as that, then I've been falling behind on my homework."

Anna guffawed.

xxxxxxx

The sun crept lower and lower, first touching the horizon, then being subsumed by it. Within the living room, shadows stretched longer and longer, the fingers of night closing around them.

Anna knew she didn't have to point this out to Elsa – her eyes worked just as well as Anna's – but the urge to say something grew and grew, alongside her other urges. She could feel the tension in the air, building with every second that passed. Elsa seemed tenser by half. Her body, which had been relaxed the whole day, was now taut, and Anna could swear she was shaking.

Finally, as twilight fell, Anna took action. She nudged her sister gently. "Elsa?" she said apprehensively. "Are you okay?"

Elsa turned to her and smiled. "Yeah, I'm okay," she said. "I'm just apprehensive, that's all."

"Are you still okay to go through with this?" Anna asked.

Elsa nodded decisively. "I made you a promise," she said. "I've kept you waiting long enough. And…I want to do this, too. I really, really want to do this."

Anna smiled encouragingly. "I'm ready when you are," she said.

Elsa stood up, her affirmation seeming to have solidified her conviction. "I'm ready now," she said.

Anna stood as well, holding out her hand. "Then lead the way, Elsa," she said.

Elsa took her hand, and together they headed for the stairs. Anna felt Elsa's hand tremble, but the conviction in her steps was undeniable.

xxxxxxx

Anna's room was immaculate, her bed perfectly made. At the moment.

Elsa pushed the door open, then led Anna in. Anna reached for the light switch, but Elsa told her not to turn them on. The light creeping in from the doorway would be more than enough.

Anna had seemed fully confident before, but as they made their way to her bed, Elsa saw a hint of nervousness creep back in. It was wholly understandable, of course – Elsa was astonished she was shaking as little as she was.

One of us should be brave – I thought that a while back, didn't I? But for this, I think it's okay if we're both nervous.

When they reached the bed, they both sat down, looking at each other. Anna wrung her hands, not saying anything.

"It's a long way, isn't it?" Elsa said. "From down there to up here."

Anna nodded, getting her meaning perfectly. "So…we're really doing this, aren't we?"

"Only if you're comfortable with it," Elsa reiterated.

"Of course," Anna said. She smiled. "In that case…let's get comfortable."

She took Elsa's head in her hands and pulled her forward, leaning forward herself at the same time, and they kissed. It was practically second nature to them at this point, yet Elsa still relished every second their lips were together.

Elsa had taken her seat at the head of the bed, so as things heated up, it was she who found herself leaning back, pushing the covers to the side and lying on the bed. Anna straddled her, knees on either side of Elsa's hips and hands by her head. Once they reached these positions, another brief kiss was exchanged before Anna pulled back. Now she was looking straight down at Elsa, taking her still-clothed body in fully. Her hair, undone, cascaded down on either side of her face in light red rivers – a perfect frame for the beautiful picture that was her freckled face.

Just being in this position helped to drive home exactly what she was doing, and who she was doing it with. Anna now looked upon her sister in a way she never could've dreamed she would. The realization made her lean back for a moment, resting on her knees.

"This is going to change things between us, isn't it?" she said.

Elsa nodded. "Yes, it is," she said solemnly. "We'll never quite be the same way we were before. Last week, we were only sisters – nothing more, nothing less. But after we do this, we will _always_ be something more. Even if we aren't girlfriends forever, once we do this, there will be a bond between us – one that most sisters will never have. You'll never quite see me the same way, and I'll never quite see you the same way. What we had before will never come back."

Anna stayed in place for a moment, contemplating this. "Will it be better?" she asked.

"I think it will," Elsa said. "I hope it will. But I _promise_ it will be different."

Anna thought some more. Every second that passed was agonizingly long, but Elsa knew that this moment, of all moments, was the one that couldn't be rushed a single second.

Anna closed her eyes, smiled, and nodded. "I'm willing to take that step," she said.

The tension that had been building in Elsa's shoulders was released, and she sighed in relief. "So am I," she said, smiling back.

Anna nodded again. She reached down and grabbed the hem of her shirt. "Then what are we waiting for?" She lifted her arms.

Elsa had just reached under Anna's shirt earlier that day, but even so, the sight of Anna's bare chest still made her breath catch in her throat. A sea of subtly tanned skin, dotted with occasional freckles, and two small, erect nipples. She was spellbound by her sister's beauty.

It was a few seconds before she noticed Anna subtly squirming, arms still over her head and shirt covering her face. "Uh…a little help?" she said, muffled by the shirt.

Elsa couldn't suppress a laugh when she realized the predicament Anna was in. "Oh, this brings back memories," she said, giggling.

"Don't laugh," Anna said, but Elsa could tell by the tone of her voice that she was close to laughing as well. Elsa propped herself up into a sitting position, then pulled the neck of the shirt up and freed Anna.

Elsa grinned slyly. "When I decided to give you lessons on how to date, I didn't think you'd need one about how to undress properly," she teased.

Anna grinned back, not insulted at all. "Well, there's no time like the present," she replied.

"All right, then," Elsa said. Grabbing her own shirt, she lifted it over her head, elegantly shedding the garment and exposing her lacy purple bra. She undid the clasp, then shrugged out of it, tossing it to the side as well.

Anna blinked, having not expected Elsa to strip so quickly. She drank in Elsa's pale body.

"Well?" Elsa said. "What do you think?"

It took a few seconds for Anna to find the words. "I think…I think we've talked enough," she said, rushing forward.

Elsa barely had time to nod in agreement before their lips had locked again. With their bare chests in contact, the effect was magnified. Goosebumps appeared across Elsa's arms, and she could see that Anna had some as well. Elsa wrapped her arms around Anna's neck, holding her tight. Anna's hands were on a more…exploratory path.

Her mouth occupied, Elsa's yelp of surprise was muffled as Anna grabbed her breast. Unsure of what exactly to do, Anna gently squeezed, her palm rubbing against Elsa's nipple. Elsa moaned in delight, pleasure emanating from her body.

She released Anna's neck and fell back, her head landing on the pillow. Anna took the opportunity to catch her breath, shivering all over as she did so. "Am I…doing well?" she panted.

Elsa nodded. "Yes, you're doing amazingly," she said, short of breath herself. "Please…keep going…"

Anna hesitated, then lowered herself forward, onto Elsa's body. She inched back ever so slowly, so that as her head descended, it approached not Elsa's mouth, but her breasts. Elsa's eyes widened, the moment of realization coming just before Anna's tongue appeared.

Much as she had done to Elsa's neck weeks ago, Anna sucked gently on Elsa's breast, her tongue flicking back and forth across her nipple. Elsa moaned, writing on the bed and wishing only that Anna's body were better positioned for her to return some of the pleasure Anna was lavishing upon her.

But that would have to wait, because Anna was already moving further down her body.

Anna unbuttoned Elsa's jean shorts, then looked up at Elsa's face. With a nod from her, she pulled, dragging the garment down Elsa's long, slender legs. Now, only her panties remained, and Anna placed a hand over them and began to rub.

"Wait," Elsa said. Anna relented immediately. "G…give me a chance," Elsa said.

"A chance for what?" Anna asked.

Elsa laboriously pushed her upper body off the bed. "To pay you back," she said. She put her hands on Anna's shorts and tugged insistently.

Anna smiled. She brought her legs in front of her and pressed them together. "Anything for you," she said.

"No," said Elsa. She tucked her fingers inside Anna's waistband, so that when she pulled, both her shorts and panties came off at once. "Anything for _you_."

Anna, now completely naked and siting in Elsa's lap, nodded, shaking with anticipation. She was putty in Elsa's hands.

Elsa placed her hand on the small of Anna's back and lifted it upwards, her fingers tracing four paths up Anna's back. Anna inhaled sharply, arching her back instinctively, and Elsa's head darted forward. She planted her first kiss just above Anna's navel, then headed upwards with a trail of kisses that left Anna shivering. The path of kisses terminated at her breasts, where Elsa placed her mouth onto one and used her left hand to attend to the other. Anna moaned and pulled Elsa's head closer into her chest, silently urging her to go harder. So she did.

"Ahh!" Anna gasped as Elsa lightly engaged her teeth, with the lightest of pressures being enough to set off fireworks in her head. "F-fuck, that's amazing. You're amazing!" she moaned.

Elsa quivered. Anna's passionate voice, combined with her foreplay, were like kindling on her fire. Her last remaining garment felt more cumbersome than a winter coat, and it was high time she got rid of it. She pulled down her panties, as far as they could go with Anna in her lap. Anna took over from there, pulling them down until they slid off her legs. They looked into each other's eyes and nodded, agreeing without words. It was time.

Elsa lifted her right leg so that it was above Anna's. Then she pressed forward.

It was indescribable, the feeling of Anna's slit touching hers. It was like lightning, like flying, like a fire roaring to life. Elsa bit down on her finger, cutting off her own moan, if only to better hear Anna's. It was animalistic, guttural, full of desire. Elsa allowed herself only a moment to drink it in. Then she began to move rhythmically.

Now they were both moaning, their gasps and whimpers in time with the motion of their bodies. Elsa couldn't suppress hers anymore, not without drawing blood, but Anna still made herself heard. Her wetness slid across Anna's, the most sensitive parts sent on a collision course over and over again. Elsa pried herself away from Anna just to lean back and provide a better angle. They repeated these motions over and over again, somehow provoking a greater reaction each time.

"M-m-more," she gasped. Anna somehow heard her, and they sped up, their motions becoming more and more rapid. Elsa breathed shallowly, trying to balance the intake of precious air with the exhalation of her euphoric declarations of enjoyment. Still the feeling intensified, though she already felt full to bursting with pleasure. She leaned forward, watching Anna's face express the same euphoria.

Anna came first, but Elsa was right behind her.

The sight of Anna, _her_ Anna, screaming with pleasure as the orgasm enveloped her body, was enough to push Elsa over the edge. She arched her back, pushing herself forward as the climax came. The white-hot intensity of it overwhelmed her, and she let out a cry.

_"ANNA!"_

She panted once, twice, three times. The moment passed, and the orgasm faded. Elsa fell back, exhaustion pulling her down onto Anna's bed. As she fell backwards, Anna fell forwards, stretching her hands out to embrace her sister. She landed with her head on top of Elsa's breasts, and Elsa rested a hand on her head, to ensure it stayed there.

The next few seconds were silent, but for the sound of their laborious breathing, as their lungs finally made up their deficit. Without even intending to do so, their breaths were synchronized, Anna's head rising and falling with Elsa's bosom.

Eventually, Anna rolled off of her, and Elsa scooted over to ensure she had plenty of space to land. Her back hit the bed, and she stared up at the ceiling, wide-eyed.

The air conditioning kicked on, and Elsa shivered. Reluctantly, she pulled up the covers onto both of them, partially obscuring her view of Anna's body.

"Anna?" she said.

Anna turned her head to face her. "Yeah?" she asked.

"How…do you feel?"

Anna smiled. She turned her body as well, once again presenting it all for Elsa to see. "I feel…happy. Content, like all the stress in my body just vanished, just like that."

Elsa smiled warmly. "It's a wonderful feeling, isn't it?"

Anna quirked her mouth into a smirk. "Well, not the _most_ wonderful feeling I've experienced in the last…thirty seconds or so."

"Was it…as good as you hoped?" Elsa asked, turning her body to face Anna's as well.

"Absolutely," Anna said, her smile broadening. "How about for you?"

Elsa stuck a hand out. Anna took it. "It was everything I could've asked for," she said, voice trembling. She felt a tear fall from the corner of her eye and trickle sideways across her face.

Anna looked concerned. "Are you okay?" she asked quickly. "Something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong," Elsa said, shaking her head. "It's just…" Another tear appeared. "I don't think I've ever been this happy in my entire life."

Anna found her own eyes welling up. She and Elsa moved closer together, the space between them unbearable.

They embraced beneath the blankets, Elsa squeezing Anna so tightly she feared she might crack a rib. Their arms and legs wrapped around each other, every inch of their bodies in contact from head to toe. Their tears of joy fell together and mixed, becoming indistinguishable with one another. Elsa pressed her forehead to Anna's, preparing to kiss her again but for now simply relishing Anna's hot breath on her face.

It was a long night, but in the best possible way.


	29. Chapter 29: And after

**Chapter twenty-nine**

**And after**

You ever have one of those days where you just don't want to get out of bed?

Anna had not been the kind to have those days in years. Ever since taking up jogging, her internal clock might as well have been atomic. For most of the year, she was up before the sun was. Even during dark times in her life, like her breakup with Hans, her routine had served as an anchor to prevent her from being overwhelmed by despair. It was a constant in her life. Constants were good.

But here she was, still in bed at 8:30, with no inclination to leave. And it wasn't because of the arms wrapped around her waist, or the legs overlaying hers, but rather the woman they belonged to.

At some point in the night, she and Elsa had switched from hugging to spooning. She couldn't remember exactly when this had happened, but she felt no desire to change it. Somehow, the steady, rhythmic breathing on the back of her head had not kept her up all night; however, now that the she was awake, she intended to revel in it for as long as it persisted.

She still felt like she wasn't processing things fully. Here she was, lying in her bed, with Elsa's arms wrapped around her, both of them totally naked, having just made love the night before. And yet somehow, she felt not just calm, but serene.

I just slept with my sister. _My sister._ How am I not freaking out right now?

By way of an answer, she scooted backwards, nestling herself deeper into Elsa's embrace. Every inch of her body in contact with Elsa's felt warm and tingly. Perhaps she had shifted too much, however, as Elsa began to stir as well. She prepared herself mentally for what might happen next.

Okay, remember her anxiety. She's had trepidation about this stuff before, and she might freak out. If she does, I need to stay calm. Stay calm.

So she was surprised when Elsa squeezed her tighter, nuzzling her head forward into Anna's shoulder. "Morning," she whispered into Anna's ear.

Her breathy voice sent shivers down Anna's spine. "M-morning," she said. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling good," Elsa said. "Like I just woke up next to the most beautiful girl in the world. How 'bout you?"

Anna chuckled. "Much of the same," she said.

Elsa giggled.

Anna turned herself around to look at Elsa's face. Her eyes were still sleepy and half-lidded, but the smile on her face was warm and genuine. Not a hint of fear was anywhere to be seen.

"Wow, you look so…content," Anna mused aloud.

Elsa let out another melodious giggle. "Perhaps, sister of mine, you're starting to understand why people like sex so much."

"Yeah, I think I'm getting the gist of it." She pushed herself up into a sitting position against the headboard. "So…what do we do next?"

Elsa followed her lead, sitting up as well and grabbing Anna's hand. "Anything we want. Including that one thing."

xxxxxxx

Anna offered to make breakfast that morning, which Elsa was more than happy to agree to. She went for scrambled eggs and toast on Elsa's recommendation, a dish that was very hard to screw up. It ended up being pretty good, though obviously not on the level of Elsa's cooking. They ate quickly – to put it plainly, they'd worked up an appetite – and in no time at all, they both had empty plates.

Throughout the whole meal, Anna kept looking at Elsa. She'd been right – things felt far different now than they had the same time yesterday. On one hand, she was still Elsa, the same kind sister she had spent her whole life with. On the other hand…

On the other hand, it wasn't twelve hours ago that she had held her in her arms, run her fingers across that vast expanse of perfect ivory skin, and made her feel pleasure in ways that only…

Okay, cut the purple prose. We fucked.

It was a harsh, inelegant word, one that didn't sound nearly as romantic as others she could think of, but it was the word necessary to snap her out of the dancing around the subject that she had been doing. They had just fucked, made love, had sex, whatever you wanted to call it, in the room she had grown up in. It had been her decision, and she would've done it again if given the chance – and from how things looked right now, she likely would be – yet to act like it wasn't even a little bit strange would be disingenuous at best, a blatant disregard for reality at worst.

"Feels weird, doesn't it?" Elsa said, if not reading her mind, certainly her face.

Anna nodded. "Sure does. A good weird, but still…weird."

"Well, that's inevitable. After my first time, I felt good for the next twelve hours, and weird for the next forty-eight. And Belle wasn't even…well, you know."

"It'll probably be longer for us, then," Anna said.

Elsa flashed her a smile. "Well, ideally, I'd like to, uh, interrupt the weirdness with another twelve hours of feeling good. If you catch my drift." She batted her baby-blue eyes at Anna, just to drive the point home.

Anna blinked. "So soon after?" she said.

"If you want to," Elsa responded. "Some people prefer to space it out a bit more, but if both sides are willing, there's no real reason not to do it as often as the mood strikes."

"And how often does the mood strike you?" Anna asked, pointing her fork at Elsa.

Elsa smiled. "Honestly? If I was the one setting the pace, we wouldn't still be sitting here."

Anna's eyes widened. "Oh," she said.

"But that's not how it works," Elsa said quickly. "In any relationship, the slowest person sets the pace. We're not going to go any faster than you're comfortable with."

"Of course," Anna said. "I never doubted that. But I don't want to keep you waiting too long, either."

"Ah, don't you worry about that," Elsa said. "If I ever get too excited, I've got my old standby to fall back on." She raised her right hand with a flourish to demonstrate.

Anna placed her fists on her hips in mock indignation. "Oh, I see how it is," she said. "Getting a little side action with Elsa Schneider, hmm?"

Elsa burst out laughing, and Anna soon joined in, incapable of maintaining even the illusion of anger.

"Actually, Anna," Elsa said once their laughter had died down, "you won't be hearing from Elsa Schneider ever again."

"Really?" Anna said. "Why not?"

Elsa assumed a straight face. "Because she's dead."

Anna's eyebrows arched. "Oh," she said. "I'm sorry to hear that. What happened to her?"

"She, uh, fell into a bottomless pit trying to get the Holy Grail," Elsa said, face miraculously straight throughout the entire sentence.

"Ah, I see," Anna said.

I knew that was where she got the name from!

"So, that kinda sucks, huh?" Anna said, playing along. "I know you were pretty close to her."

Elsa shrugged. "At least now I can wear all my green shirts again."

"Fair point," Anna said.

A lapse in the conversation followed, long enough for them to decide to get up and put away their dishes. Once that was done, they returned to the table, relaxed but with still more to say.

"So," Anna asked. "What's next? Where do we go from here?"

"Where would you like to go?" Elsa asked. "Do you want to keep going on dates, and lean more on the girlfriend side? Or would you rather we be…sisters with benefits?"

Anna scratched her head. "Is there a difference?" she asked.

"Only in how we look at it," Elsa said. "The next time we go to the movies, or the zoo, or Angel Island, we could just be hanging out as sisters, or we could be on a date. Or we could be one thing one day, and the other thing another."

Anna rubbed her forehead, in much the same way that Elsa often would when staring down a particularly tricky math problem. "I'll be honest, I'm really not sure," she said.

"That's totally fine, too," Elsa said. "We've got all summer long to figure it out."

Anna's eyes widened again. She paused for a moment to let the realization sink in.

All summer long. Three months ahead of us, just us two alone. No school, no job, no parents, just me and Elsa. My sister together with me for weeks on end.

She smiled. "This is going to be a good summer, isn't it?"

Elsa nodded. "The best summer ever, if I have anything to say about it."

The distance between her and Elsa had, in a few short seconds, become unbearably long. She rectified this at once, rounding the table and sitting in Elsa's lap. Elsa wrapped her arms around her, and she put hers around Elsa's neck.

"You're the best sister a girl could ever ask for, you know that?" Anna said, touching their foreheads together.

"You too," Elsa said, touching her in the nose.

Anna locked eyes with her. "I mean it," she said. "You are so wonderful. I'm lucky to have a sister as amazing as you. I love you so much."

Elsa sniffled, and her eyes watered. "I love you, t-too," she said, voice trembling. She buried her head in Anna's shirt and began to soak it.

It had been a long road just to get this far. But it was worth every step.


	30. Chapter 30: A test

**Chapter thirty**

**A test**

It seemed they had made a good choice, visiting Angel Island before the end of the year. As Punzie reported via text, the park was absolutely packed, with a 60-minute wait for even the teacups. Elsa suggested they go work out that day instead, her on weights and Anna on cardio. As it happened, one of them ended up with a much better view than the other.

Elsa lifted herself on the pull-up bar five times before letting herself drop, completing the set. With each lift, she pulled herself high enough to glance in the mirror, confirming that Anna was still watching from her treadmill. She flashed Anna a grin on one rep, and saw her smiling when she lifted herself up for the next. As motivators go, it was among the best she'd ever had.

By her schedule, this should've been leg day – abduction, adduction, and squats. And she had done each of these in turn, looking at Anna with expressions that made her blush, giggle, or vibrate uncontrollably. But even after she'd done ten sets of each, Anna was still running along, with no signs of slowing down. One by one, Elsa had felt compelled to add more and more workouts to her routine to extend it, until every muscle in her body was screaming in protest.

Elsa was under no delusions that she needed to prove anything to her sister – Anna took every opportunity to tell her how strong she was. In fact, that was precisely why Elsa kept going. Every time she looked in the mirror, if Anna wasn't deliberately making a face for her, her resting expression was of adoration and love. Every time she caught sight of it, it was like her load was ten pounds lighter.

Still, she felt relieved when Anna reached the bottom of her water bottle, and her movements began to slow. Elsa managed a few more pull-ups while Anna was in her cooldown. She strolled towards the treadmills, the serotonin flooding her system momentarily dulling out the pain that would return in full force tomorrow morning.

As Anna watched her approach, she slowed the treadmill down, and at last signs of exhaustion began to enter her body. "Geez, I thought you'd never finish," she said to Elsa, panting.

Elsa arched her eyebrows. "I could say the same thing," she said. "I was only still going because you were."

"So was I," Anna said, checking her pulse with two fingers. Elsa glanced at the timer on her treadmill.

89:25

"Fuck," she said under her breath. "I didn't realize it was that long."

"Guess we could still work on our communication, eh?" Anna said. She was winded, yes, but still doing better at ninety minutes than Elsa would've done at fifteen. "And here I was, thinking we were gonna switch off afterwards."

Elsa blinked. "Switch off?" she said, looking at the treadmill as if it were a coiled snake. "You mean, you lift, I run?"

"Yeah," Anna said, hopping off the treadmill. "I could stand to bulk up just a little. And you could use some cardio."

Elsa's knees wobbled, out of weakness rather than fear. "You should've told me that before I did squats."

"Well, yeah," Anna said matter-of-factly, "but then you might not have done them."

Elsa chuckled as she turned towards the locker room, sticking her derriere out in Anna's direction. "I see your point."

xxxxxxx

They tried Elsa's bed that night. It didn't really work out.

Anna had only gotten her current bed a couple years back, when Elsa was already in college. Her old one had been pretty long in the tooth, and she'd asked for a double to make room for her tossing and turning. Elsa probably could've gotten a bigger one herself, if she'd asked, but at that time, she hadn't been inclined to think she'd need one. After all, there was only one of her, right?

Anna banged her elbow on the wall as she lifted her shirt over her head. "Ah!" she hissed, clutching her arm.

"Ouch," Elsa said sympathetically, already down to her underwear on the bed. "Hit your funny bone?"

Anna nodded, tossing the shirt away.

"I know," Elsa said, scooting to the side. "You lie down, and I'll take care of the undressing for you."

"Fine by me," Anna said. She leaned against the wall, allowing Elsa a free range of movement. But it turned out to be a bit too free – Elsa scooted too far and fell off the side of the bed.

"Elsa!" Anna cried out. She peered over the edge of the bed, looking at Elsa with concern. "Are you okay?" she asked.

By way of an answer, Elsa reached her arm up and grabbed Anna, dragging her down. She yelped as she fell, landing on top of Elsa once again.

"Told you," Elsa said.

"Huh?"

"I told you my bed was too small for both of us," Elsa said. "And you said…"

Anna sighed, remembering. "I said it'd be okay, we could just sleep on top of each other." She blushed a little. "I thought it would sound sexy."

"And it did," Elsa said. "But sounding sexy doesn't make my bed any bigger."

Anna chuckled. "Guess not. So, off to my room, then?"

She moved to get up, but Elsa was still holding onto her. "Not so fast," she said. With her other hand, she reached onto the bed and grabbed a fistful of blankets. She yanked them down, and they fell around the two of them. A few corrective tugs, and soon they were both totally enshrouded.

"Remember when we used to do this?" Elsa asked. "We'd take the blankets and pillows from both our beds and make a huge blanket fort."

"I do remember that," Anna said, looking around at the cocoon of blankets around them, through which only a hint of light penetrated. "But back then, we were a little more-"

She did a double take. While she had been looking around, Elsa had silently slipped out of her few remaining garments. "…Okay, a lot more clothed," she amended.

"I got hot," Elsa said in a sultry voice.

Anna looked her up and down. "You sure did."

A pillow had gotten tangled up in the blankets, and Anna now rested her head on it. Per Elsa's instructions, she merely lay there as Elsa stripped her bare. It was a very different feeling, to have Elsa's naked body moving across her still mostly clothed body, but weighing the benefits and drawbacks, having them both be naked was far more desirable.

"Say, Anna," Elsa said, dragging Anna's panties down her leg with one finger. "Have your ever heard of 'rounding the bases'? Like, in a sexual way?"

Anna tried to assume as thoughtful of an expression as she could while Elsa's hands gently caressed her. "I don't think so," she said.

"It's just a euphemism for how far you and your date get," Elsa explained. "Not everyone agrees on exactly what they mean, but first base means kissing, and home plate means all the way."

"With you so far," Anna said.

"Well, by my count, we skipped from second base to home plate last night," Elsa said. "And I was thinking, tonight I'd like to show you third base."

Anna nodded. "I'm game," she said.

Elsa's eyebrows arched. "So eager," she mused. "You don't even want to ask what it is first?"

"I trust you," Anna said. "As long as it's not whips or anything, I'm willing to do anything with you."

Elsa smiled. "Thanks," she said. Her smile turned wicked, and she held up two fingers. "I'd hold onto something, if I were you."

"Why would I-"

Elsa's fingers plunged downward, and Anna figured out where they were headed a second before they got there.

"Ah!" she gasped, gripping the blankets around her. She had expected a bit of foreplay, but Elsa's fingers went deep immediately, straight to the point, no beating around the-

Her train of thought was jostled again as, within seconds, Elsa located her most sensitive spot. She arched her back, and Elsa grabbed onto her backside with her free hand, as if to stabilize herself. She deftly thrust her fingers in and out, rapidly stimulating her. Anna felt her orgasm building faster than she could've expected.

She's better at getting me off than I am.

That was one of few coherent thoughts that managed to make its way through Anna's brain before she came once again. She cried out in pleasure, then her body slacked.

Elsa's smirk was one of the first things that came into focus for her afterwards. "You know, you don't have to shout, I'm right here," she said.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Anna said. "Am I-"

"Kidding, kidding," Elsa said, playfully tapping her on the nose. "I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing you scream."

She leaned forward and rolled to the side, lying down next to Anna. Anna passed her the pillow, which she accepted. "You…you've got some magic fingers, you know that?" Anna said, gazing at her adoringly.

Elsa chuckled. "Well, I'm flattered," she said, "but magic this ain't. It's the same as doing it to yourself, just backwards." She looked at her fingers, flexing them one at a time and wincing. "Add that hand to the list of muscles that's gonna be sore tomorrow," she said.

"Well, I'd say it was a worthy sacrifice," Anna said. Elsa stuck her tongue out at her. Anna fell onto her back, looking up at the blanket canopy above her. "So, that's third base, huh?"

"It is," Elsa said. "What'd you think of it?"

"I think it's great," Anna said. "The only problem is that it seems…asymmetric."

"It is," Elsa agreed. "Unless your partner is kind enough to…what's the word? Reciprocate."

"Yeah, I guess," Anna said.

A second of silence passed. She glanced over at Elsa, who was looking right at her expectantly. She ran the conversation through her head again, this time picking up the double meaning perfectly. "Oh," she said, blanching.

"Feeling up for it?" Elsa asked.

"Uh, I guess so – yes, of course," Anna stammered. "But…I'm not sure if I'll be quite as good as you were."

Elsa chuckled. "You don't have to be. Just do your best. It's you, so I know I'll love it."

"Right, okay," Anna said. She pushed herself to her hands and knees, then stepped over so that she was straddling Elsa. Their body heat had warmed up the small enclosure of blankets, but that wasn't why she was sweating.

"Relax," Elsa said soothingly. "You'll do great. It's just like doing it to yourself, remember."

"Right, right," Anna said, "just like my homework." Then realization dawned on her. "Oh," she said again.

Elsa grinned. "Now you see why I called it homework, don't you?" she said mischievously. Anna nodded. "What good is homework if you don't get tested on it later?"

Anna swallowed. She looked at her hand, fingers trying to find a middle ground between Elsa's technique and her preferred style. She found a solution she felt comfortable with, then looked down at Elsa.

Her older sister waited, patiently but urgently. Her whole body was taut with anticipation, her hands gripping the blankets and her toes curled. There wasn't much room in the enclosure for her to spread her legs, but she did so as far as she could. Anna once again marveled at Elsa's muscular body, on full display for her to see. Her nervousness fell into the background, subsumed by lust.

She smiled. "Well, don't you know, Teach," she said, slipping her fingers into Elsa, "I'd do anything for an A…"


	31. Chapter 31: Picture perfect

**Chapter thirty-one**

**Picture perfect**

She'd definitely overdone it yesterday.

From the moment Elsa woke up, everything hurt. Every major muscle group on her body screamed at her, as if on strike for unreasonable working conditions. She sat up in her bed, tossing aside the tangle of blankets and sheets she'd thrown onto herself. She hadn't put the most effort into re-making her bed before drifting off to sleep, and soon the whole tangled bunch of blankets was on the floor again.

She gently stretched, testing the limits of her strained muscles. Her arms seemed the least strained, so a day of internet browsing was likely in the cards. Not to say she would've been more active otherwise, but now she had a good justification for it.

Blearily, she brushed the sleep from her eyes and yawned. The memories of the night before returned to her, and after a quick mental check to confirm she hadn't just dreamed them up, she smiled.

I might as well stop dreaming. No dreams could compare to this.

As the world came into focus, she noticed something unexpected – a white cylinder on her bureau. She reached out for it, taking it in her hands and determining what it was. It was her protein shaker, with a post-it note on the front. She took a sip as she waited for her eyes to adjust, finding it well-mixed. Soon, she was aware enough to read the note, though she could already take a good guess as to what it said.

_Elsa,_

_I'm out for my jog right now. You always complain about having to shake up your protein thing while your arms are still hurting, so I thought I'd do it for you. Hopefully, it's still cold when you wake up._

_Love, Anna_

_P.S.: This counts as me making breakfast for you._

Elsa smiled. She gave the shaker a smooch, then popped the top and drank. It was entirely homogenous, mixed vigorously and completely. A mental image of Anna vibrating up and down, shaking the bottle as hard as she could entered her head, making her giggle.

She never goes halfway. Especially for me.

xxxxxxx

A routine was a good thing to have, and Anna would be the first to say so. But now she found herself wishing Elsa's was different.

Anna lay in her bed, idly staring up at the ceiling. She could still reach either end of it with her fingertips while laying in the middle, but now it somehow felt larger and emptier, as if having two occupants for a month or so had stretched it out.

She glanced at the clock on her phone. A quarter till ten – it'd be at least forty-five minutes before Elsa made it back from the gym. A few months ago, she would've been completely out of energy at this point in the day, with only a bit of internet browsing between her and sleep. But dating Elsa had drastically shifted her body clock backwards. And that wasn't the only thing her body had grown accustomed to.

Anna crossed her legs, feeling the desire burning within her.

Things had cooled down between them just a little bit in the past month – now they were only making love every two or three days. But then, due to circumstances beyond her control, they'd gone five days without. Which was to be expected, and not a problem – Anna had tided herself over by burying herself in her homework. But it felt unfair that, just when they were both ready to go again, it was Elsa's gym day. It wasn't unfair, of course. It just felt that way.

She reached for the internet browser on her phone, then pulled her thumb away from it. On a whim, she instead reached for the text message icon instead. Elsa's name was near the top of the list.

_Hey, Elsa,_ she texted. A few seconds passed before the reply came.

_Hey._

_So, how goes the workout?_ she typed, hoping that this was a perfectly nonchalant thing to ask.

Elsa saw right through her. _It goes for another hour, that's how it goes._

_Aww. Are you sure?_

_Pretty sure._

Well, so much for subtle coercion. Maybe a tug at the heartstrings might work?

She opened up the camera and snapped a picture of her face, schooled into the saddest, mopiest expression she could muster.

_Lol, I've got a stronger will than that, sis. Try again._

She prepared to do just that, screwing her face up to be as pitiful as possible. Then another idea struck her. A crazy, bonkers idea.

_Is there anyone next to you?_

_Uh, no. Why?_

She doesn't even suspect what I'm about to do. Probably because it's crazy.

I mean, couples do this, right? Sometimes?

With shaking fingers, she grabbed the hem of her blouse and lifted it up. Using the selfie cam to guide herself, she raised the garment until the bottom of her bra was visible. Then she took the fabric and bit into it, now using her mouth to hold the shirt up. As an added bonus, the shirt now partially covered her blush, which had blossomed profusely. She snapped the photo, meaning she was now a tap away from sending it.

Am I really about to do this?

…Fuck it.

She hit send.

The stress in her body was released almost immediately. The deed was done, and she now had only to wait for the response.

_Jesus, Anna! I thought you were just gonna type something sexy!_

_What's the difference?_

_Because then it'd just look like a normal text from far away! If you see a sexy pic from twenty feet away, it's still obviously a sexy pic!_

_Sorry, I guess I got a little carried away…_

…was the first thing she typed. Before she hit send, that mischievous part of her brain spoke up again.

Elsa wasn't really mad, she could tell, just a little flustered. And since she was already in Mischievous Girlfriend mode, why stop here? She _could _double down…

She erased her apology, and typed up a new response.

_Well, better hide in a corner, then, 'cause there's more coming._ Send.

Drawing from her homework, she lay belly-down on the bed, pulling down her pajama bottoms far enough to show off her panties. It felt ridiculous, but she managed to keep a straight face for the picture, before bursting into giggles. Send.

_Anna, knock it off. You can't break me like this._

_Oh, really? One more shouldn't hurt, then._

She pulled off her shirt, then took a bite of her left bra strap, assuming a pouty expression that she hoped would look sensual. Send.

Thirty seconds passed, then…

_I'll be home in fifteen minutes. Be ready._

_I will be._

_I'll be all sweaty and nasty._

_I can live with that._

Twelve minutes later, she heard the car pull in. A short while later, Elsa entered her room, still in gym attire and as sweaty as she had promised. The expression on her face was slightly peeved, but mostly amused.

"Sorry," Anna said, lying on the bed in exactly the same state of undress as her last photo. "I'm needy."

"Oh, don't worry about that," Elsa said. She pulled her sports bra over her head, then tossed it to the side with a flick of her wrist. "I'm needy too."


	32. Chapter 32: End of an era

**Chapter thirty-two**

**End of an era**

Elsa's eyes flitted open, and she roused herself from her slumber. It was a Monday morning – not that it mattered in the summer. Anna was also there – they'd been waking up at closer and closer times to each other. She smiled. "Morning," she said.

Anna smiled back, but her smile had a twinge of sadness in it. "Morning."

Elsa knew the reason for her sadness. "July," she said.

Anna nodded. "July."

July 1, in fact – a week before July 8. They'd received the text from their parents a couple weeks ago, and the ramifications of this supposed good news had slowly crept from the back of their minds to the forefront ever since.

It wouldn't be all bad. Anna, at least, was happy that she'd be seeing them again, and Elsa…well, she was happy that Anna was happy. But on the other hand, as soon as their parents' plane touched down, they both knew that things would change. They'd have to.

Even before the text, Elsa had been mentally preparing for this next phase of their relationship – the secret-keeping phase. She'd successfully drilled Anna on a few of the things they'd have to keep in mind – strict control of the PDAs, managing who knew what, the strict criterion for letting even a close friend in on the secret, etc. – but somehow, the fact that their parents were going to be coming home before college started up had slipped both of their minds. And of course, when it came to secret-keeping, there was no part more important than keeping it from their parents.

No longer would their house be the safe zone, where all pretense could fall and they could fully savor their own relationship. Now, it would be the tightest place of all. Sleeping arrangements would be relatively okay, provided they kept the volume down, but the second they reached the first floor, they couldn't be anything but sisters. For the first couple of weeks, it would no doubt be maddening, and after that it'd just be depressing. And all of this was before they went to college.

Anna had gotten accepted to Kent State almost immediately. There had never really been any doubt she would (though that didn't keep them from celebrating). But once they got there, it would be a hundred times more complex. Careful management of conjugal visits. Well-planned public meet-ups. Precise schooling of vocabulary when talking with friends and roommates. They'd be lucky if they slept together twice a month. All of which Elsa had known about and prepared herself for, but part of her coping mechanism had been to ramp things up as school approached. And now that wasn't gonna happen, not easily anyway.

Way to go, mom and dad. Away when Anna needs you, but here just in time to spoil the fun. Why even-

Anna reached out and stroked her cheek. The maelstrom of feelings evaporated in Elsa's mind.

Okay, that's enough of that line of thinking. The future's in the future. Focus on what's right in front of you.

Elsa wrapped a hand around Anna's back, pulling her body into her own. Her hair was a mess, and they were both wearing _eau de morning breath_. But it was still Anna.

If they were going to lose their freedom in a week, then this week would be dedicated to getting the most out of that freedom, for every precious second they had together.

In layman's terms, they were going to fuck like rabbits.

xxxxxxx

They went for a walk, not a jog, around the pond. They'd spent so much time dawdling in bed that it was already getting hot by the time they reached the park, but with a couple of water bottles, not to mention plenty of sunscreen, they were good to go.

They held hands and walked at a slow, lazy pace. Anna occasionally spoke up to point out a landmark they had been going too fast to acknowledge last time, but for the most part they were quiet. They took this opportunity to practice being discreet. Whenever Elsa saw another person approaching on the trail, she'd give Anna's hand a squeeze, and the two of them would let go. After the person passed, they'd wait a few seconds, then return to holding hands. Before long, Anna had gotten good at it, and would let go even before being prompted.

It was a beautiful day, with barely a cloud in the sky, and a faint breeze helped cool them down. Yet every time their hands separated, a tinge of sadness entered both of their hearts, starting out faint but growing stronger every time. Not just because they weren't touching, but because they were slowly beginning to realize just how much time they'd spend not touching in the days, weeks, months to come.

A large oak tree sat about two-thirds of the way along the loop. They sat down in the shade, solely for the purpose of cuddling. Elsa wanted to hold Anna, and Anna wanted to be held. Anna sat between Elsa's legs, as they had grown accustomed to by now, and they looked across the pond, thinking of the future.

"How're you feeling?" Elsa asked after a while.

"Complicated," Anna answered.

Elsa chuckled faintly. "I should've guessed," she said.

Anna looked at her. "I _am_ excited, don't think I'm not," she said. "I think college will be a lot of fun, and I'm looking forward to it." She squeezed Elsa's hand. "But…I'm going to miss this freedom."

Elsa smiled. "You know, four years ago, I was thinking that same thing," she said. "Minus the 'looking forward to it' part."

Anna smiled, but the joke did little to lift her spirits.

Elsa squeezed her shoulders. "I know what you mean, though," she said. "It'll be tough, having to conceal our relationship like this. I'm sure there will be days when we just want to explode, from keeping it inside for so long." She leaned forward, her arms sliding down until they met over Anna's stomach. "But just because we're hiding it, that doesn't mean we won't feel it," she said, voice getting quieter as she placed her mouth next to Anna's ear. "I love you, Anna. If I could, I'd tell you that every minute of every day, and show it to you for as long as I had the stamina to do so. But if I can't do that, I'll just have to make up for it whenever I can."

Goosebumps popped up along Anna's arms. She layered them over Elsa's and leaned back, nuzzling her body into the taller woman's. Elsa reclined as far as she could, inching away from the tree and lying down in the grass. Enveloped by the massive tree's shadows, they were virtually unseen, and so they remained undisturbed, nestled together in absolute tranquility.

xxxxxxx

Evening found Elsa in the living room, browsing the internet, while Anna relaxed on the other end of the sofa with her phone out. Anna's legs were draped over Elsa's, with the laptop on the armrest. For the most part, they could've been mistaken for platonic sisters in that position, if not for the fact that neither of them were wearing pants.

They'd phased out their pajama pants about a month ago. With the nights getting hotter and hotter, there was really no incentive to keep wearing them. Besides, Elsa had argued, legs like Anna's were too good to hide. Thus far, they'd experienced nothing but positive results from the decision, Anna in particular getting handsy in the best way.

From time to time, Elsa ran a hand along Anna's legs, often eliciting a joyful shiver in response. In return, Anna moved her legs up and down Elsa's thighs, occasionally looping a toe around her panties and pulling at them playfully. She was good at it, too – Elsa had to pull them back up twice. The sun had set, and Elsa was just starting to think she might let Anna take them all the way off, when she received an email notification.

"Oh, it's from the college," she remarked. Then, when she opened it, she spoke up louder. "Dorm assignments have been made."

Anna sat up straight and pulled her feet of Elsa's lap, much to Elsa's disappointment. "They have?" she asked, leaning in.

"Yeah," Elsa said, pulling the computer onto her lap to give Anna a better look. "Didn't even get to pick this time."

Anna put her head on Elsa's shoulder. "Then Tiana was right?" Anna asked, voice quavering on the last word.

"Well, let's see," Elsa responded. She tapped the link, which took its sweet time to open. "I'm guessing every single student got the same email at the same time, so of course it's gonna chug." She noticed that Anna seemed tense, staring at the screen intently. "Something the matter?"

"I've just got a hunch, is all," Anna said.

She didn't elaborate, so all Elsa could do was twiddle her thumbs until the site loaded. A list of the Kent State residence halls popped up after about twenty seconds. The top one read: _Schuyler Hall: A through E_

"Oh, yep," Elsa said, clicking on that link. "Alphabetical, just like she said."

She could feel Anna's body tense up. "First or last name?" she asked, excitement rising.

"Last, I'd guess," Elsa said. "That's how it always-"

Wait a minute.

Holy shit. Holy fucking shit.

Now Elsa began to shake as well. "You don't think…"

"Don't get too excited just yet," Anna said, though she herself sounded very excited. "It's still a 50/50 shot."

Elsa turned to her. "You figured this out already?" she said.

"It was just a guess," Anna said. "Even if Tiana was right, there's still a chance we miss it by one, depending on how the rooms fill up." But her body language suggested she was much more than 50% certain.

Man, how fucking long can it take for one website to load?

At last, a list of names and numbers appeared, two students' names next to each number. Elsa hit control F, and typed in her last name. Two results.

_Arendelle, Anna – 117_

_Arendelle, Elsa – 117_

"YES!" Anna shouted, jumping to her feet. "We're roommates, Elsa! We're-oh!"

Elsa had leapt to her feet as well, placed her hands on Anna's sides, hoisted her into the air and spun her around. "I can't believe it," she said.

Anna threw her arms around Elsa's shoulders. "I know, right?" she said, tears in her eyes. "G-guess we were due for some good karma, huh?"

"Good karma? We hit the goddamn jackpot on this one!" Elsa exclaimed. The ramifications and possibilities swirled around in her head, each one more wonderful than the last. "Oh, yeah," she said, something coming to mind.

"What?" Anna asked.

Elsa smiled. "We have got to work on your quiet orgasms."

Anna blushed. "Y-yeah, I guess we do," she said. "Think we can pull that off in a week?"

Elsa smirked. "Well, I'm no Elsa Schneider, but I'll try my best."

Anna's face turned serious. "Elsa," she said.

"Yeah?"

"I don't know if this even makes sense, but I…I'm glad you're not Elsa Schneider," she said.

Elsa didn't quite know how to respond to that, so she took a jocular tone. "Ah, you're just saying that because then we wouldn't have ended up in the same room," she said.

"No, I really mean it," Anna said, her voice emotional. "I really fucking mean it. I wouldn't want you to be anyone else, other than Elsa Arendelle. Does that make any sense? I feel like it doesn't…"

Elsa put a finger to her lips. "I know exactly what you're trying to say," she said. "I feel it too, so let's say it together, okay?"

Anna nodded. They looked into each other's eyes.

"I love you."


	33. Epilogue: Wrapped up

**Epilogue**

**Wrapped up**

Snowing. It was snowing. But that was okay. Her face was already red.

"I told you, Elsa, I can put on a scarf by myself," she said, embarrassed. Elsa stood in front of her, draping a scarf around her.

"No, you can't," Elsa said. "I saw you walking around yesterday, and one end of it was dragging through the snow."

Anna folded her arms. "Just a little," she sulked. In spite of her protests, she did quite enjoy having Elsa fuss over her like this – not that she'd ever say so directly.

Elsa gave her a quick kiss before cinching up the scarf, then went through the lengthy process of bundling herself up. Temperatures had plummeted in the past month, to the point that they both had no choice to break out their heavy winter coats, which were pretty dorky. Still, they came with their advantages; when you're bundled up that much, nobody else recognizes you, so you're free to hold hands all you want. Well, gloved hands, but still.

Fully covered, they stepped out into the hall. As they made their way to the exit, they passed by their RA's room, and Anna gave her a wave, which she returned. She was a very nice RA, always ready for a game of Smash, but rather hands-off, which was, of course, all the better. As of yet, she didn't suspect a thing. Nor did anyone else in the hall, for that matter, though there had been a close call or two.

Stepping outside, they were momentarily blinded by the intense whiteness of the snow-covered ground. They walked towards the east side of campus, where all the classrooms were clustered. Once they were out of sight of their dorm, they held hands and discussed plans.

"That girl Jessie I was telling you about?" Anna said, muffled through her scarf. "She invited me and Punzie to her dorm's movie night tonight - they're watching Blazing Saddles."

"Oh, that's a great flick," Elsa said. "You should totally go."

"Do you want to come, too?" Anna asked.

"Wish I could, but I've got homework," Elsa said. "Homework that I can handle myself," she added, cutting Anna off. "I'll be fine, you have fun."

"Okay," Anna said. "I'll be sure to make it up to you as soon as I get back."

Elsa chuckled. "That's not necessary," she said, "but yes, do exactly that."

Anna laughed. They kept walking, hand in hand, through the winter morning, neither feeling even the least bit cold.

Anna was enjoying college just as much as she'd expected. The classes were finally challenging her, she was meeting some great new people, and they were close enough to home that they could go back there whenever they wanted. The only downside was seeing less of Elsa. They had no classes together, their schedules prevented them from having lunch together, and on three days out of five, they were separated for six hours at a time. But even that wasn't as bad as she had feared it might be. Making new friends filled the time they were separated, and was probably easier than it would've been if they were together for that whole time. Besides, who cared about the days, when the nights were all theirs?

They eventually came to a fork in the path. Anna's class was in one direction, Elsa's the other. They slowed their pace as they approached it.

Elsa looked at her. "See you tonight, them?"

Anna looked back at her girlfriend. "Yeah," she said, smiling. "See you."

They slowly went their separate ways, their palms sliding across each other as the distance increased. Then, at last, their fingers were no longer touching, and they walked away, apart but still together.

Anna turned her head for one last glance. All that was visible was a thick blue parka, but beneath it was still Elsa. Her girlfriend. Her sister. Her everything. They'd had their ups and downs in the past couple of months, but nothing had even threatened to damage what they had.

So it was with a light heart that Anna headed for her class. The scarf around her neck was like Elsa's own arms, embracing her and protecting her from the cold. Her gloves were Christmas presents from Elsa, protecting her from even the harshest cold.

There was nobody and nothing in this world that could've made her happier. And that was the stone-cold truth.

_The End_

_A/N: Thanks to everyone for going on this journey with me! This has been my longest fic to date, and I'm glad you all stuck with it to the end._

_I've read every review you wonderful folks have sent my way, and appreciated them all - even the negative ones. Any other fic writer will tell you the same - reading reviews is the most rewarding part of the work, by far._

_If you simply can't get enough of my writing, I'm also working on a Frozen/Castlevania crossover called Cold Blooded. I'd recommend you check out the Netflix series first, as my fic cribs heavily from the prologue. So long for now!_


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